A Soft Place to Fall
by hismysticmuse
Summary: ON HIATUS A historical, fictional story of Jasper/ Maria.. Alice becomes a vampire/flapper the 20's in Biloxi, MS. to when Jasper/Alice find each other in 1948.. Victoria/ James scenes, too. Cannon, AU, M for language, violence, lemons, & angst
1. Chapter 1: Alice

**A/N: **

**So this is my first fan fic that I am publishing. I did do a naughty Twas' Night before Christmas one that I may add later… But anyhoo, this story is loosely based on Alice and Jasper's journey according to their timeline based on Stephenie Meyer's written pasts of them: their beginnings, finding each other and so on. There will be some fluff and angst and whatev in between. And I haven't read other J/A based fan fics so I hope I didn't step on too many toes... **

***There is some twenties slang used here and there, in this chapter. The first two chaps start off slow, just saying.**

***All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I am merely trying to elaborate on their pasts and expose them to new experiences. **

***Thanks to my friend, Cait for beta-ing for me. Much love, sister!**

A soft place to fall

Chapter One:

Biloxi, Mississippi, sometime in 1920

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no, no…" She whined, panic welling inside her gut. She woke up from the worst pain she has ever felt, her body writhing and burning in the darkness. She knew she must still be in solitary.

She must be.

She needed to get out of here.

Her breathing burst out of her chest in short panicked gasps. Her eyes seeing everything in the darkness, everything was in shades of purple, everything was quiet outside. She began rocking to comfort herself, her chest burning, literally burning her alive. Her brain couldn't understand it.

Her mind raced, taking everything in.

_Metal door, purple room, padded grey_. The smell of urine permeated in through her nostrils. _Urine and old blood, dirt, vomit, body odor_. It was the room. It was her. She was mortified. She cupped her hand over her mouth and nose holding her breath. After a few minutes, she gasped. But it was in vain. It was as if holding her breath and breathing didn't matter, she could have held it forever. Literally never breathe again, but that idea terrified her.

"_Hello_?" She called out, hearing movement outside.

The picture of an orderly popped in her mind, she almost recognized him.

_Man shuffling forward to the door, nervous, worried about opening the door. _All the sudden it was as if everything shifted within her mind._ He was going to open it. But he's stalling, possibly scared? _

Pictures shifted in her mind. _A pregnant woman rubbed her stomach with love as she laughed at something silly. The man from outside the door, his wife. _There was a flashing of colors and she warily raised her hands to her forehead, her eyes tight trying to see clearly._ Pink. Lots of pink, a cry… a baby girl within the blankets, standing in front of a house... a blue house, they're buying the blue house. More worry, more fear._

"Hello?" She called out louder.

There was scratching outside the door. "Alice?" He called, wary.

"Yes?" her eyes darted forward, then side to side.

Keys jiggled in the door, "Are you… are you okay, Alice?

"Yes. I think so." The idea lingered in her head. Was she okay? Her mind worked a thousand times faster than before, more vivid sight, her ability was far more superior, and and she could see in the dark! She could hold her breath indefinitely… She was having the worst heartburn… ever.

"I'm opening the door, stay where you are, alright Alice? I mean it. Stay. There." His voice was oddly creaking but she could hear him swallow. _Odd_. Then she thought that it was as if she could hear for miles. A Model T driving down the dirt drive , an owl warning in the tree. But she could hear someone screaming, it was within the building… the shuffling of feet in that direction… panicked words, frantic movements to control her.

And then the door cracked open.

Delicious warm smells seeped inside. She breathed deeply as she watched as his hand pushes open the door slowly. His eyes wide. She watched his veins pumping wildly, he was nervous.

"Alright," She answered her chest demanding, hungry, hot fire. She shook her head, not understanding what was going on and trying to resist the impulse to attack him and feed on his blood.

_Eww. Gross_.

"I… I don't think I feel very well," She said, her voice pitchy.

"It's okay, Alice, relax." His voice was soothing.

She nodded quickly, willing her body to cooperate, fight the madness.

"Let's get you to your room, Alice. We'll get you to your room. You'll feel better in your own bed."

"Right-" She nodded again, and stood up. It seemed a swift movement, and he took in air at the sight. Concentrating on her movements, she slowly stepped out the door. He fitted his arm around her shoulders refusing to look at her too closely. He seemed to shudder at her touch, but he was warm, very warm. And his scent was mouth watering. She started compulsively swallowing, willing herself not to attack him, his body throbbing delicious warmth. She scared herself.

The man led her down the hall.

"Put your head down Alice. Don't let them notice you."

She thought that was an odd comment, but she nodded and obeyed. They walked rigidly and from the corner of her eyes she could see people, patients around her. Her mind flashed wildly seeing their futures lined out in front of them, most living there lives out here. One was idly chatting to herself, and another was trying to eat her own hand, one sewing. But some were vicious, one of which was plotting what she would do to another patient in the room. She shuddered, shaking her head and looking away from their hollow, dark eyes.

"She… she…" Alice stammered shaking her head, willing the visions out of her head as she pointed then lowered her hands, shaking. She remembered her visions were not well accepted. The doctors and staff did terrible things to her every time she expressed them. She bit her lip, shaking her head.

"Calm down, Alice. Everything is alright." He hurried more quickly down the hall.

Alice looked up seeing a woman she didn't recognize. The woman gasped at her, her eyes bulging, shaking her head wildly. "Demon. _Demon_!" She called pointing after them. The man turned her down the corner, they were practically running.

"She called me a… _demon_?" Alice's voice was high pitched, distressed.

"What was that, Alice?"

Why did he keep saying her name? She looked at him, and he turned his head to her with a smile, then he gasped with a look of fear on his face.

"Your eyes-" he pointed at her, stumbling.

"My eyes? What is wrong with them?" She could feel the tears coming, but not came. Her face just felt contorted.

"They're red!"

"Cause I was in the dark so long?"

"Holy Mary, Mother of God." The orderly started to pray loudly, grabbing her arm and pulling her in another direction.

He led her downward, pulling her as she tried to turn around. She felt empowered and unbelievably strong, but she could see would hurt him badly with any sudden movements. He didn't want to hurt her and she could see that he was leading her down to the morgue and then maybe out the door.

"You're letting me go?"

"He said," The orderly swallowed, "he said you'd wake up different, Alice. He said to lock you up… to protect you, save you."

She listened to his words, though they didn't seem to make sense. "Who did?"

He mumbled incoherently, "… but he said you'd be different. I didn't get there in time, though… I'm sorry Alice, but you have to get out of here. You have to leave. I'll leave some clothes outside for you- outside this door- in the morning."

She nodded. She wanted out. A sense of ease fulfilled her. "Keep Estelle away from people, like everyone, alright? She is really not right. She wants to bump off Didi…" The man nodded his head, his eyes narrowed, and lips were tight. She smiled slightly, continuing, "You're wife is having a girl. You know, she loves you, really. 'You're the bee's knees,' I see her telling the girls… and you'll get the blue house, you'll be happy there." Her voice wavered and the orderly just nodded again in understanding. Stress seemed to dissipate in him noticeably, "and, a son several years from now."

Minutes later the door swung open to the morgue and they shimmied around the metal tables. She saw a man seemingly familiar, lying over the table; he had a wound on his neck, two crescents making a broken circle. He was unmoving and she shuddered.

She pointed at him and there was a shushing sound from her escort. She bit her lip, noticing her teeth seemed sharper.

They stood before the metal door, and he carefully pulled the wallet from his back pocket, pulling out some bills and placing them in her hand. "I know y_ou don't know from nothing _of the outside world… here, from him."

She looked at the dough, then back at his face, then to his neck watching the throbbing vein again.

He glared at her and fidgeted. "Don't take any wooden nickels and stay away from the drugstore cowboys, doll." He cupped her shoulders for a moment and the swung open the door.

The sunlight was bright in her eyes. She covered them with her arm, but then saw her skin sparkling like millions of faceted diamonds. She smiled brightly at all of the tiny prism rainbows. It was beautiful.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!" The orderly pulled the door shut quickly, pulling her back, but she didn't really move. "We have to hide you! We'll let you go tonight, in the dark."

"Alright." She smiled as she stepped back allowing the door to swing shut. They moved to a small vacant room. She instantly felt better, still bedazzled about her skin. She had literally lost her mind but they were still going to let her go, anyway. She couldn't believe it. And he was helping her escape! She wrapped her arms around him, her mouth so close to his mouth-watering neck, but she ignored the constant desire to eat him.

"You're…. hurting… me." He gasped trying to move out of her clutch. She released him smiling.

"Sorry." She sighed, smiling brightly and his eyes seemed to glaze over. She stepped backward, slowly. "I'll stay here until night… But I could use a snack." She licked her lips eyeing his throbbing veins. _New baby, STARVING, wife, he smelled delicious, blue house_… a _baby. Baby girl, can't eat him_. The orderly's eyes grew wide with fear, but she just smiled at him and winked, "Just kidding."

*****I hope you like my Alice. As you can tell Alice doesn't love eating delicious orderlies. Comments may make her change her mind...*****


	2. Chapter 2: Alice

**A/N: I plan on doing a few chaps about life before Jazz and Alice meet… According to several sites, Alice was changed at 19 in 1920 in the sanitarium by a vampire who was trying to save her from James. She was left on her own to fend for herself. I couldn't find any info that she went out into the world knowing that she was a vampire so I took that and ran with it. She and Jazz didn't meet until 1948 at a diner and went on to seek out the Cullen's in 1950. That leaves 28 years of Alice up to her own devices. **

*** Special thanks go out to Cait and Jen for beta-ing this chapter for me and to my lovely friends who are nice enough to keep me on track and like it enough to make me want to continue, Judy for her advice of making her crazier. Great idea! **

*** I am done with Jazz's first two chaps I thought I'd add those next so you can get a taste of life for him. (I actually started his first, but whatev.)**

***All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I am merely trying to imagine what the 1920's was like for a possibly insane, starving, pixie looking vampire who doesn't-know-she's-no-longer-human in the south. I bet she'll have a blast.**

Chapter Two:

Alice sat on the bank of the water with her arms crossed over her knees and plopped her head on her arms and winced at the odor. She still smelled of solitary.

Her face scrunched as she heaved an unnecessary sigh. Her body was acting oddly and it was causing distress. Her chest boiled like liquid lava and each swallow caused a recoil of a thirst that was dominating her train of thoughts. And her mind seemed to have an abundance of room in there for thoughts.

Blood. _Drink blood._ Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. BLLLOOOOOOD. _Blood._ Red. Juicy. Thick. Delicious. Blood. You _want_ to drink it. You _need_ to drink it.

"No." she gulped but it was worse. "It's all in my head. It has to be all inside my head. Something else to overcome… she could add it to her list of crazy.

Her eyes lifted to the trees. She needed a distraction. Her mind was going a mind a minute and her arms around her legs were more holding her body back from going back into the sanitarium to eat all of the delicious warm people locked inside like sardines; their blood basting the muscles with each mouthwatering heart beat.

"Oh God! I am going insane!!" she shrieked.

_You were already insane_. A little voice in her head reminded her.

She frowned, mouthing vain curses.

Sun. Concentrate on the Sun.

The sun had tucked itself down into the trees, leaving glittering bronze sunlight seeping through the leaves. They are peaceful trees, old and secretive. _They are very boring trees. And sitting is boring, too. _But this was her first twilight of freedom and she wanted to watch the sun go down.

_She wanted blood. _

The sun dipped low, casting red dusky lines of light at her. Her skin illuminated from diamonds to rubies. Blood rubies.

_Blood._

"Hurry up already!" She glowered, "stupid sun." The wind tickled through her hair and danced around her, as if taunting her.

But yet there wasn't any sound.

She hadn't notice it before. It was eerily quiet. Alice looked around, eyeing the trees and the water, but there wasn't a soul.

She growled in frustration. The noise frighteningly curled off her tongue so easily it scared her. She gasped, her hand cupping her mouth.

Then it was if the water rippled away from her. It was as if she heard the slight ripple. Her body recoiled, defensively as her eyes moved cautiously over the water.

"Who's there?" she called out. But there was no answer. She felt crazy excited- like a predator almost- but the quiet was unnerving. She froze, waiting, concentrating… then she heard the soft paddling under the water, and she quirked a devilish smile. "There you are!" Her eyes watched the water, tracking, as her mouth pooled with saliva.

She jumped up and the next thing she knew she was in the murky water, arms wrapped tightly around the thick torso of an alligator. It opened its mouth, trying to bite onto her as it thrashed its tail wildly, causing them to spin. She tightened her grasp, sinking her teeth into the scales, and started to suck blood from the beast. She sucked in long, hard pulls, vaguely noticing that it slightly eased the burning in her chest.

After a few moments, the gator's body stopped thrashing and stilled, its green glossy eyes that were once cunning and wild, dulled. Alice frowned, wiping her blooded mouth on her shoulder before she released the heavy body back into the water, and slowly waded back to the shore.

"I've lost it. I've lost it," she murmured. She drank a huge alligator's blood.

_Gross_.

But it was good. Sooo good.

Alice's eyes were wide, taking in what had just happened. She turned her head, seeing the alligator's body drifting away down the stream, refusing to believe it. Refusing to believe what she had just done. It was sad. It was wrong.

But why did she feel slightly better? Fuller?

_The blood._

The idea came to her and she froze.

That idea was definitely not normal.

She stared into the nothingness. She had changed. Something was very wrong with her. She knew that. _Red eyes, sparkling skin, inhumanly fast. _

Something was very, very wrong.

_Killed an alligator… with my bare hands. Drank its blood! _

_Want more._

Her mind must have snapped. But she felt okay. Better than okay.

Alice got up and looked into the water. She didn't recognize the reflection staring back at her. The eyes were burgundy in the dusky light. Her hair was wildly dripping with choppy ends with embedded mud. But her face! Her face was flawlessly beautiful. Her skin was light alabaster.

She saw a slight movement drift over to her recent kill and her mouth watered again. Before she even thought about it, she launched herself back into the water and straight at her next prey.

She spent a night going after alligators. She had counted at least four of them. Then she found some scavengers in the night, one of which was a possum. She thought that it would be fun considering its long teeth and claws, yet when she found it, it played dead. Draining it was a disappointing experience, although the warmth of its blood felt delightful.

She liked the animals so much more than the idea of eating a person. Sitting on the edge of the water, soaking wet, muddy and smelling like hell, Alice finally felt relatively full. Her body seemed to slosh around when she moved and she could have sworn she could feel her body and muscles absorbing the blood.

She tried not to think about what she did, though it was quite thrilling and disconcerting. But at least she couldn't see futures of unknown victims that she long to kill to weigh heavy on her heart.

The light of the morning started to tease the dewy grass and trees and she glanced at the latest alligator lying dead on the bank of the water curiously.

"Hmm. That would make really cute boots."

***

A car coming up the long graveled drive caught her attention. Then there were more. She watched as the morning shift replaced the nightshift. She could smell their delicious, clean, warm smell. The people would be a very tasty treat.

"No." she shook her head defiantly, holding herself back.

She needed to stay away from them. She needed to wait for the back door to open with her clothes. She needed to stay hidden, which would be tricky since she had already decided that there was a break-in in the sanitarium to shower. She felt confident after her night wrestling alligators that she could probably take on any of the people who dared keep her there, and hopefully not eat anyone.

Dear lord, she was insane.

The back door creaked open and a figure of a man laid a suitcase behind the door. He looked warily around the field and the woods before he shut the door. Alice looked around, watching as a couple of nurses chatted absentmindedly to each other close by. They didn't seem to notice her.

Alice ran toward the door, her legs stretching, feeling wonderful as she bound over the grass and wildflowers. It took her mere seconds. Once she got to the wall she froze, listening.

"-then he tried to kiss me, Meg, but I turned my head, telling him the bank was closed!" she cackled loudly.

"You're so bad!"

"So I said goodnight."

"So you didn't kiss him?"

"I can't have him thinking I am a quiff!" She winked with a wicked smirk, being allusive, and nudged her head to the side to indicate the people just inside a front window.

"Riiiight." Meg nodded.

She lowered her voice, "There's something… weird… about him." She shook off the thought.

"Like what?"

"What? Oh, nothing I guess. Dangerous, maybe… But he smells _so_ good."

"You slay me, Meg." She chided, "Tell me more."

"Well, he's not to be refused for long, he said he knows this _juice joint_, you know…" The voices ceased and Alice looked up, seeing them nod respectfully to the night doctor who passed them; they giggled and he winked at the first woman. Her lip curled but didn't respond. Soon he was in his car. "-but he doesn't drink… So, he said he was going take me on Friday and I said 'in what, that old jalopy?'" She laughed at her joke while the other shook her head. Then they stopped, standing at the porch of the sanatorium. "

It's really a nice car, actually; he's a swanky guy…" The first woman ran her fingers over her pinned hair and then placed her nurse's cap over the slight curls. She smiled brightly, her blue eyes shining. "But James was quite put off by my comment; he really was, so I told him I was just having a razz."

"Hurry, spill, what'd he say next?"

The woman frowned dramatically. "He called me a vamp."

Meg gasped, cupping her mouth with her hand. "No!" She laughed. "But you are!"

"Yep." She paused dramatically, curling another smile. "He reads me so well." She sighed as her friend nodded.

"Don't tell me you're goofy about him already?"

The first woman straightened her tunic, smiling brightly, but refused to admit it, ever allusive.

"So, Victoria, we'll go on Friday?"

"Sure. I'll tell James to bring a friend."

"Oh!" Meg gasped. Victoria looked at her, confused. "Did you hear? We lost another patient last night."

Victoria frowned, fidgeting with her hands as if she already knew the answer. "Who?"

"You know the one… the one that said you're going to die."

***

**A/N *So, in my research I realized there's not too much in 1920's Biloxi that Alice can eat without killing people, hence the ever edible alligators. People apparently eat them, so why can't Alice. So in my research I landed some info I thought I should share:**

"**Alligators often engage in violent fights over territories and mates, and scientists have puzzled over why their wounds rarely get infected. ****Now researchers think the secret lies in the reptiles' blood. Chemists in Louisiana found that blood from the American Alligator can successfully destroy 23 strains of bacteria, including strains known to be resistant to antibiotics. In addition, the blood was able to deplete and destroy a significant amount of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS." -From the National Geographic website.**

***Anyways, as Victoria has relatively no known background and James was already there for Alice, I thought it was only fitting for them to meet. There's some 20's slang that I borrowed off the internet, most is obvious, but here's a few definitions: Vamp: flirt. Quiff: Cheap prostitute/ slut Jalopy: dumpy old car Juice joint: a place that sells alcohol during prohibition; a speakeasy.**


	3. Chapter 1: Jasper

Chapter One- Jasper

**A/N: This Chapter is MA for a reason. It has a rough sexual content that may be offensive to sensibilities. If you are one of those people you can skip this chapter, without missing anything important. This chapter is meant to describe what Jasper may have gone through with Maria. It is not time specific but I imagine it to take place sometime before he left with Peter and Charlotte. To make the story go more smoothly I added his below bio according to Twilightlexicon(dot)com so I didn't need to deal with all the explaining.**

Jasper Hale (born Jasper Whitlock) …was born in Texas in 1843 and joined the Confederate States Army in 1861 to serve in the Civil War. Due to his extremely charismatic personality, he ascended through the ranks quickly. Jasper was turned into a vampire in 1863 by a vampire named Maria when he was 20 years old. As a vampire, he gained the ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of those around him. Recognizing his high rank in the army, Maria decided to change him into a vampire to help her claim territory in Monterrey. Jasper's responsibility was to train young vampires and then kill them when they were no longer useful (about a year after their transformation- when their strength began to fade). After about a century of this, he grew weary of the lifestyle and joined an old friend, Peter, and his mate Charlotte. Jasper left the two eventually, not wanting to feed on humans because he could feel his prey's emotions as they died. Alice, foreseeing that they would be together, met him in a half-empty diner in Philadelphia, and together they sought out the Cullen family. During their companionship and travels, they soon fell in love and were later married.

***As I don't own Stephenie Meyer's characters, I am hopeful that I do them justice in my stories, just as I hope that you enjoy reading about them from my point of view. This story, content, and plot are the property of **_**rwmarm**_** and any thieving of it isn't acceptable, it's plagiarism. *I have not read any other Alice and Jasper fanfics so I am hopeful I am not stepping on any toes. *Special shout outs: Thanks to CaitCullen and Jen for editing my work, and Jen for throwing out suggestions. *I am grateful that some of my Twi-group has taken to reading it and that is freaking awesome!! (****Olivia, Selene, Jill, Judy, Cait, and Jen. Let me know if I'm missing anyone) and TY to my husband, who reminds me constantly he is team Alice. I hope you all like it...**

* * *

Deep in the night, Maria laid in the bed, covered by the white sheet. Her dark skin contrasted beautifully in the moonlight. Her eyes were coaled, her lips, red and glossy as her hair wisped in sequence with the breeze. It was an illusion of seduction and she mastered it; a submissive gesture meant to lure in her prey; human and vampire alike.

Maria laughed with her husky voice, murmuring in Spanish- the sweet flowing words that drew you in as her body moved over the bed. Her burgundy eyes widened as a pout plumped her lips. She would sit and wait for your move, giving you that false sense of trust and control. But Jasper could see the wickedness behind her grin, the way her fingers curled, drawing her lovers into her lair as they took in her fiery sent. He had witnessed it first and second hand, countless times before.

But those who refused her never made it back out the door.

Maria did allow a certain amount of dominance in her partners as she did enjoy the wicked _dance with the devil,_ _herself_. But she had rules about it and never let her guard down enough to fall victim to anyone. Because all else aside, she enjoyed being the predator. She liked the hunt, the seduction, the sex and then the meal; a true succubus.

She moaned as the warm air breezed though out the room. She lay on her back, writhing under him; his arms were splayed on either side. His eyes were almost closed but he was concentrating on his emotions. He didn't want her to feel the disdain he had for her. Not yet. So he made the emotions lustful and was careful to keep it that way.

There was a time when he gave his emotions freely to her. He showed her the love and lust and affections he had and he expected her to feel the same way for him. And there was a time that he thought she did, she put on a good show, but soon he realized she was really just feeding off of his emotions toward her.

She was incapable of love.

She wanted lust, not love. She wanted sex, not love. However, she wanted to _feel _his love and devotion for her, but refused to give anything in return. To her, love was a submissive release of power and she was neither willing nor capable of it. And Maria had made that perfectly clear long ago when he found out sex with her was something most of the men in their coven took part in, too.

He was not anything special to her.

_Sex with her was part of the job_. Jasper scoffed, disgusted with himself.

She whispered erotic Spanish words, that past in the wind. They were as empty as the air.

"Tell me, mi amor," She cooed.

His jaw clenched, steadily thrusting into her, trying to get it over with. Her eyes widened, watching him, waiting.

"Tell you…what?" he gasped. He knew she wanted to hear his love for her, his devotion to her. They were words he couldn't say anymore.

He would take the repercussions.

He moved slowly over her, the motion was systematic, unfeeling. But she moaned as her eyes rolled backward and her hands groped his chest, moving over his pecks, hooking behind his neck. He shook off the embrace moving more quickly in and out of her as her arms clutched his shoulders piercing him with her nails. He growled angrily, narrowing his dark eyes on her as she smiled.

"Jasper, quiero oirlo." _I want to hear it, _she says but she means feel it and her aggressive tone softens slightly as Jasper sends out a minimal amorous mood.

She pulls his shoulder to her face and he snaps back ward, exiting her body, and stood naked across the room. His glare was a warning.

"I mean what I say." She says roughly, her legs move seductively and then opens them. It's a command for him to reenter her, but he was unwaveringly glaring at her, allowing the passion dissipate at his will, and the true evil angry-excitement permeating from her to consume them. He let his loathing flow freely off of him.

She felt the change instantly.

"You want my submission, not my love."

She smiles again, pleased with the game, but clucks her tongue. "Jasper," she scolds. "I have your heart. As I always have."

Jasper made a disgusted sound and Maria's burgundy eyes glinted with anger for a moment before she caught the reaction. But he could feel it rippling off of her, though she smiled sweetly. It was a fine line of lust and violence.

"You have nothin' of mine!"

"Jasper, you love me. I can feel your love."

"What I thought I felt for you… the love- was unrequited. I don't love you, Maria. You know that."

"You still love." Her accent curled off her tongue, easily dismissing his comments, "I want to hear… it." She says again, in English. She plays with a lock of dark hair and bites her lip.

"I don't love you, Maria. You feel what I _want _you to feel." He cocked his head, watching her, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Her nipples hardened at his tone, but she pulled at her hair, and then casually lowered her gaze over his erection, "You belong to me. I own you." Then she looked up at his face, smiling.

"I don't belong to you."

Maria frowned at his words. She drew her legs together, watching him carefully.

"You do. And I asked you a question." She snarled, her eyes narrowed. "I won't ask again."

"And I won't make love- without _feelin_' it."

"You can't be with the others, Jasper! Only me."

"I don't want the others." He lowered his voice and his glare, "or you."

She moved over the bed, touching herself, trying again to seduce him. "Your words are not well chosen. Perhaps someday you won't be here any longer." She looked off to the side of his face, "I will mourn you," and curved a wicked smile.

He scoffed at that. He was not easily killed. All of her attempts and all of his challengers were in vein. He didn't know why he allowed her to live. "You may get your wish."

Maria laughed at that. She crawled over the bed toward him, her breasts hanging vertically and swaying with her movements.

"You want me. You need me." She says, watching him with her smirk. She stepped off the bed, and then toward him, her hand seizing him.

His jaw clenched.

"I know, Jasper," She breathed, her smell stung his senses, he sighed feeling her body lightly brushing over his skin. The seduction almost made him close his eyes.

Jasper growled, deep within his chest. He grabbed her by her waist and she smiled. He pushed her over the bed and onto her stomach and entered her roughly. She growled low, excited.

His body pumped wildly within her. It was aggressive and it made his body rigid. She moaned gasping his name but all he could see was his past eighty five years under her control.

_He was a fabricated commander of her 'Army' after she had taken his human life. _

_They killed countless people with futures in families, some they fed off of, others turned vampire for Maria's selfish needs. _

_He trained countless vampires who trusted him, who were his friends, and given her command he destroyed them. _

_He had killed her sisters after Maria expressed fear of them, as they were a threat, and demanded their deaths. _

He had done it all without question. He had done it to prove his love, his devotion to her, always longing and expecting her affection. Never had she given it.

He felt everything. Acutely.

He pulled her into him hard, hearing her moans, watching her vacantly.

"Maria?"

"Si Jasper!"

"I hate you."

She moaned loudly, feeling his full erection violating her as he emitted the feelings of his anger, the detestation. She tried to turn around to look at his face but he held her, reaching forward and clutched her breast roughly. She moaned praises, screamed out his name, and cursed him as she came. She panted, still moving with his motion, grasping the sheets.

"Quiero oirlo! Quiero oirlo!"

"I hate you. I hate you so fucking much." He withdrew himself from her and came on her back, the liquid pooling between the faint dimples of her ass. He got up, wiped his erection with her expensive lingerie and dropped it to the floor. Yet she waited, panting, for him to clean her up. It was a very submissive move. He should kill her now.

"Thanks for the fuck. I'll send the next one in to clean you up." His soft, southern drawl made it so much more disrespectful. She growled low. He pulled on his pants watching her wiping off of her back.

"You were to cum inside." She sneered.

"I come and go as I please."

"The sex game is over, Jasper. Come lay. You, know I love you." Her words were empty. He would be able to feel them if they were true. So he lifted his eye brows, in question, pulling on his shirt. She had a frown, her head cocked to the side as her hair spilled over one of her breasts, leaving the other exposed.

"Come lay with you." He mused.

"Si, _my_ Jasper."

Her words irritated him.

"I wish I could," he scoffed, lying and she smiled beatifically, "but there's work to do on the ranch." She nodded, understanding.

"I want them." She said, playing with her hair.

He froze. He knew what she wanted.

Feelings.

And the hellcat was going to make his life miserable now that their sexual relations were done if he didn't at least submit to this. He emitted minimal feelings of affection and lust -as fleeting as they were- into the room. She smiled, narrowing her eyes as she stretched happily over the bed.

"Come to me soon?" She cooed lustfully.

He stood silent, defiant.

She looked at him, feeling the sentiments as they warred with her anger and she drew herself up onto her elbows. He could sense her intentions, emotions, and she loved and loathed him for it, equally.

He smirked, as he pulled on his boots, one eye trained on her, always. Her eyes glinted with anger and he could feel her temper and the rejection immediately. But they were just another manipulation as she didn't really care about him or whether he came to her and when… just as long as he did.

There was a shuffling of boots on the wooden porch. Jasper moved his head minutely, sensing eagerness and desire.

"Ah, sweetheart, looks like your next lover has arrived," He smirked, winking at her.

She glared at him harshly, her lip twitched.

The door got two knocks and opened to a tall, dark haired man. He wore an anxious grin, his eyes were bright red and he looked with confusion and jealousy between Maria and Jasper.

And oh, how Maria loved having a jealous lover. She was going to have fun with him.

_The man reminded him of himself, so long ago._ Jasper thought, he just hoped Aaron survived to see it through.

"Good luck son," Jasper patted the man's shoulder, as Aaron smiled brightly.

"Thanks!"

Maria scowled at Jasper, but instantly smiled at Aaron when he looked in her direction. Jasper opened the door. It was still the dark of night, all tranquil outside. He moved swiftly outside, on guard as always, and the amorous feelings within the room became impotent, disappearing as soon as he left.

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**A/N: Phew. That was um… Interesting? Anyway, I tried to write Maria as a psychopath** (it **is a personality disorder whose hallmark is a lack of empathy. Robert Hare, a researcher in the field describes psychopaths as "intraspecies predators who use charm, manipulation, intimidation, sex and violence to control others and to satisfy their own selfish needs. (From wiki)) ****So yeah. That pretty much defines her I think…**** Jasper is empathic **(**the ability to identify with and understand somebody else's feelings or difficulties) ****to most this would be obvious... but I thought I'd add it anyhow. **


	4. Chapter 2: Jasper

**SM owns all, I own an odd fascination with mythical creatures and this story. Plagiarism and copying without expressed written permission is stealing and needless to say, bad Karma. Play nice with others.**

**History Lesson Paraphrased****:**

***Jazz was changed in 1863, 20 years old, in Monterey TX. *In 1863 the Civil War was going on, Galveston was all but a ghost town after being overtaken by the Union. Food, oil, candles were sparse. Galveston TX was infiltrated by the North (Massachusetts Infantry) facing heavy fire from the Union barracks and gunboats, etc. the city has being held by six Union ships patrolling the harbor. Confederates wanted to retake the city. Gov. Lubbock's brother, Henry, successfully rammed his boat into a Union boat, killing most of the Union soldiers and demanded their surrender in Galveston. *Galveston is 191 miles from Monterey. *Monterey is modern day Lubbock, TX from what I can gauge, and is named after Gov. Lubbock. *It was also the year of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. *You can read up on the history I described above at: http(dot)..us/exhibits/civilwar/1863_**

*** The next few chaps are going to bounce around (past, present and memories, are altogether)… I hope you can keep up.**

***I have first had experience with a psychopathic personality (my husband's ex) and Maria is loosely based on her. (He thinks I'm going easy on Maria based on that idea, though.)**

**I appreciate the reviews**

***TY shout out to CaitCullen for beta-ing for me**

**-Enjoy.**

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1863

Half of the coven lingered back in Monterey. They would guard if and when the war came marching over their claim, knocking on their front door.

The other half were hunting. They would hunt away from where they live; where the battles would leave sorrowful human machines cut down in their prime, and praying for life or death.

They would prey on them.

Others would be lured home to convert as soldiers for Maria's army.

Either way, they were true angels of death.

They moved swiftly over the terrain, not easily seen; a blur, hindsight. They were dressed in Confederate uniforms, an acceptable look for their region and were in abundant supply. Even Maria passed a soldier, her long luscious hair pinned under the cap, lips muted, and her eyes were black.

Jasper was the most striking in his uniform, never far from Maria's glare. His head cocks to the side, ever watchful under the soft waves of his light hair.

"Move out," he murmurs, but they can all hear him before his lithe body moves quickly over the barren land in full confidence, silently.

Jasper inhaled a deep breath in as he moved. He could smell the salty air of a nearby Galveston harbor. They were close as were the noticeable scents of the Civil War: gunpowder, agony, pain, bravado… blood. It all lingered in the air, licking at the edge of his sensibilities and his consciousness.

Maria moved in next to him as he signals them toward the nearby log cabins; they would need cover as the lay in wait, they're numbers would be a noticeable presence. She stretches her arms in front of her, watching the sporadic fires glittering in the eerily quiet twilight. They were barely late for the battles, as they could see the suffering bodies lying sporadically over land and some dead bobbing in the water. She smiles and Jasper moves closer smiling at her as he coils one arm around her.

Maria glowered, piercing her lips. Jasper's arm falls to his side, bereft, knowing she doesn't approve of any open affection, but he still tried. He wanted to claim her as his mate so badly, claim her in front of the others, but she continually dejects him.

The noise behind them called their attention. It was a movement from outside one of the cabins. They moved, seeing a thick man holding onto a woman. She was struggling to get away from him, her mouth muffled under his hand. Jasper could feel the tension within him. His body shuddering with anxiety, his throat burning with bloodlust and moved toward the cabin.

"No." he heard. He stopped his movement when he felt a hand on his arm, holding him back. It was an unwelcome gesture. He moved swiftly, thrashing away, and moved at the door. It took him but seconds.

"Jasper, no." the voice said to him, heavy hands held him back as heard the anguished, muffled screams of the woman inside.

"No yet. Wait."

Jasper turned regarding Randall. His eyes were dark, but with a patient hostility. "Maintain your position, Jasper. We wait until he's disposed, then we go in," with a nod, Randall moved aside, both now listening for clothes ruffling, before they attack. He could hear the light footing of the others in his coven, moving away, disinterested.

Moments later he heard the soft grunts of the man struggling with his pants and the woman's stifled cries. He felt her pain biting at his skin.

"Now," Jasper said. Randall nodded and they were inside with a small kick of the door.

The man stilled, his filthy Confederate uniform was mangled and smelt mostly of liquor, sweat, dirt, and blood. He hovered over the woman, breathing heavy. Jasper couldn't see her. The man twisted his head in their direction, his eyes widening and then with the sight of their uniforms, he visibly relaxed.

"Wait yer turn," he mumbled as he turned back to his victim. She struggled more fervently beneath him, biting him, and he recoiled to hit her. The room was amplified with her anxiety and fear, bracing for the strike and terrified of the arrival of several more predators.

"Now see," Jasper started, holding onto Randall's arm now, holding him back, "That just don't work for me."

The man turned around slowly, his arm suspended mid air.

Jasper smiled. "Does it work for you, Randall?"

"Nope." Randall popped his p, his arms moved to cross over his chest.

The woman sobbed, but lay motionless as the man over her moved to confront his completion.

"I found her first," he said with a shaking voice, he lowered his arm, fisting his hand.

"Don't matter none." Jasper could feel pain flowing off of both the woman and Randall. There seemed to be something more there, though, he smiled, "See, it's been awhile for my friend Randall and he seems to fancy your girl." Jasper supposed, sending out a soothing atmosphere within the room and everyone seemed to relax some. He could hear the distant mutterings of fallen men, taking their last strains of life as their coven drained them.

He felt the bloodlust demanding, but turned to Randall. "Are his intentions with your girl offending to your sensibilities, Randall?"

The offender seemed to stagger, moving away from the woman. Jasper and Randall could see her shuddering silently, her skirts moved upward passed her knees, she lay in fear.

Randall growled his answer, his eyes darkening.

"See there. He's offended." Jasper made a tsk sound. The woman let out a small cry. "Shhh, shh, nothing to fear, now. Randall here is fixin' to save ya, darlin'.

Randall looked at Jasper warily as they heard a sob and a couple of deep breaths from her. The offender just watched, mesmerized in the soothing room.

"Close yer eyes, darlin'," Jasper cooed, and when the woman obeyed, Jasper and Randall moved swiftly at the offender. He barely even saw it coming as they sunk their teeth into his thick neck and sucked in the warm blood from his body.

The woman, too fearful to disobey them, seemed to smile as she heard the man's gasps and futile begging for his life.

When he was drained, they let the offender drop to ground in a thump and heard the quick gasp of the woman as if she could feel their attention back on her. Her body shook compulsively.

"Come on, now," Jasper said, his body now demanding the woman's blood, as he tried to ignore it. The woman motioned to move away, pulling at her skirts and lifted her wide eyes at Randall. She didn't even seem to notice Jasper standing there until he talked again.

Jasper heard a quick intake of breath from Randall, watching the woman, his eyes lit.

"What's yer name, darlin'?" Jasper said with his glowing smile, then the turned a minuscule toward Randall, "You want her; you'll have to make run for it. We both know Maria won't allow you and her back." He spoke so soft, so fast, only Randall could hear. His head nodded, a slight movement, in understanding. "You'll need to change her."

Randall nodded again his understanding.

"Mary," She said, her voice was low and scratchy as if her throat was dry. He could feel Randall's feelings of want of the woman. But it seemed stronger than the need of her blood.

"Why, hello there Mary,"

She tried to smile, her heart pulsing wildly, the blood gushing quickly through her veins, teasing his resolve. Jasper growled at the divine smell, losing his composure.

Randall moved in an instant, grabbing up the woman, and then he bounded out the door, and into the darkness of the night.

A wraith with his coveted.

~*~

The next morning:

He touched her skin with his right hand; his left was twisted in her hair, grasping the strands, holding her to him. His lips touched hers gently, but her lips barely moved with his.

His bright red eyes lifted wide open to hers and she was watching him with her burgundy glare.

"Maria, close your eyes, trust me." He said and she smirked.

"You wish to dominate me, my Jasper? You wish to control me?" She laughed; it was a bitter, deceitful laugh that he didn't understand.

"No! Of course not, I only wish to love you, to show you my love and devotion." He leaned forward to kiss he lips and she took his kiss, but gave little in return. He growled, his eyes narrowing over her, his body was instantly rigid, demanding release, but so far she was avoiding his advances and attention, lying there indifferent.

"Where is my Randall, Jasper?" she said, and he instantly tensed.

"Did he not return from huntin', darlin'?" he pulled away to see her face.

She sneered, "You should know. Tu eres el comandante." _(you're the commander)_

"I was late getting back, I apologize. Shall I send out a search tonight?"

She shrugged, already unconcerned. Jasper touched her hair, twisting it within his fingers. "Let me love you." He whispered, allowing his lust and love to pulse throughout the room. She moaned instantly, her body moving seductively. It seemed the only time she was respondent to him. He dismissed the idea, groaning, watching her.

Then she sighed, "How would you show me… this l_ove_ of yours?" She smiled innocently as he lifted away from her.

His eyes furrowed, scrutinizing her face as her lips parting and her tongue lightly touched her top lip. He took in a breath, growling. "I've been tryin' to." His voice was low, husky, demanding and went to kiss her as she twisted away.

"Anyone can say words, Jasper, I don't trust words. How will you prove this love?"

His mind buckled. He wasn't sure what she was asking. Love of family, of self, and of others seemed to be an unconditional thing in his human life. He loved his family, his friends, even felt affectionate understanding and comradely toward his soldiers. Never once had he been placed in a situation to prove it.

"I would do anything," He said with conviction.

She smiled and then frowned. It was such a quick movement, barely visible. She sighed. It was an unnecessary gesture, he knew, but he watched avidly as her face coiled into what could be construed as pain.

His chest tightened, watching aptly. "What is it?" His hands ghosted over her skin, trying to soothe her.

"My sisters. I think they wish to hurt me."

"No,"

"Si, mi amor," he beamed at her words. _Mi amor_, my love. His smile curved his lip, before seeping back down into a hard line. "I have heard word that they are plotting to steal my claim. They are so jealous of me, Jasper, and of our relationship."

He touched her quivering lip with his thumb. She was so beautiful. "Shhh, I'll talk to them, I will protect you."

"No! They wish to kill you. And you will talk? They plot. They know your loyalty is with me. They will not _talk_." She spat the word in distaste.

"Maria," he chided, "you must have it wrong, I would know-"

Maria's eyes lifted with a glare, "My sisters are so jealous, Jasper. Have they already swayed you? Will you bed them as you intend to take me?"

Jasper slowly shook his head. "I would never. I love you, Maria. I only want you."

She sobbed, but there would be no tears.

He was feeling such a bond with her, justifying his feelings for her into words, and then sent his amorous mood into the atmosphere, yet she shook her head in defiance.

"I see you looking at them, the way your body moves to them."

His head shook, insolent, "No, Maria."

"_No Maria_, you say, _I love YOU Mar-i-a_. Others say those same words you know, Jasper, but they have all _betrayed _me."

Jasper nodded sympathetically. "I wouldn't, I won't." He moved to kiss her, but her head turned away. "

What will you do about them?" she said in a small voice.

"What do you want me to do? There's no proof."

"You don't love me!! You do not trust what I say as truth!"

His head seemed to spin. He couldn't understand her words, her anger. But he needed her. He needed to love her, show her that real love was possible. But how when she couldn't even believe her dear sisters loved her? That they weren't plotting her demise? She was impossible. But he needed to prove himself to her. She was the most important thing. He would do anything to prove his love and devotion to her. She, in turn, would love and trust him. He would make her his.

"Whatever you want me to do… I'll do it." He said rigidly.

She smiled beatifically, wrapping her arms around him as she pulled him into her kiss. He growled his approval, closing his eyes as he slowly took what she was offering.

~*~


	5. Chapter 3: Jasper

**A/N: This is rated M for a reason. There are sexually graphic words and situations in this chapter, please refrain from reading if you would be offended. Notes via twilightlexicon: ****Lucy and Nettie served Maria in her quest for vengeance during the vampire wars in the south, but only because it was convenient for them. Eventually, they turned on Maria and were killed. (EC13)**

**TY: to my husband for beta-ing. **

**And thanks for the reading and the reviews, I appreciate them more than you know.**

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Chapter 3:

More of 1863:

The setting sun glowed bright red and orange over the land, as the thick afternoon heat was finally ebbed, resting for the night. The cricket's chirped, warning future rain as there were steps over the grass moving the machinery back into the barns. This time of day was freedom to them. Light mixed with dark as they would seem almost human.

Some were anxious for the hunt.

Some were anxious for the lust.

Jasper missed his only friend, Randall. He looked at the grassy plains swaying with the breeze, wondering what had happened with him and Mary. It was a useless thing to do, as there would be no answers, but he couldn't help it. He wished them well.

He remembered the night before, finally taking Maria. She seemed so distracted, though. The thought was fleeting, easily dismissed as she had the crusades and her conspiring sisters on mind. Of course he had tried to get her attention, please her, tried to get her to succumb to him. Yet it felt like the more he tried- the less attentive she seemed.

The sight of Nettie sitting on the rock facing the setting sun took him away from his thoughts. She seemed so young with her light hair and angelic face. Her eyes were fixed on the trees, calm. He knew she must have sensed him there, it would be obtuse not to, but if she did she didn't seem to acknowledge it.

The words from Maria the night before seeped into his head. She seemed so fearful of this girl and her sister. It was an odd, irrational fear, he thought. They had always seemed to be so close.

Jasper moved away from her, moving quickly before silently moving into the thick brush bordering the claim. He would remain, hoping to gauge the situation at hand, if any, so that he could report back to Maria. He was hopeful to convince her of their steady alliance.

The day crept into night, the moon hovering ever watchful of her night creatures.

Then there was movement Jackson took in the air around him. There, before him was seven of the eighteen in the coven, slowly walking toward the stationary statue of Nettie.

A fair haired girl with snow white skin spoke in a lovely, delicate voice; it was like wind chimes. It was Maria's sister, Lucy. Jasper felt rigid.

"Are we expected to remain subservient to her radical ways? Are we to fallow without question, fight for her cause as she acquires and consumes as we are dutiful to her? What exactly, I ask you, have we fought for? Is this claim ours just as it is hers? I think not."

"It would be foolish to believe that." A voice said warily, it was Nettie.

Lucy smiled, beautifully, "Dear sister," She touched her skin, lightly, comforting and sighed. "Maria's quests have been endless. I find myself, as you do, to be controlled. What do I have of mine own? Can I not hunt when I thirst? Can I not take a mate of my choosing?"

Nettie's hair glistened in the moon light, her eyes looked empty. "I had a mate, dear sister. Do you remember?"

"Yes." Lucy said.

"What happened to him?" One of the women of the coven asked.

"She had him destroyed." Nettie said. Her voice was wicked.

Jasper knew where this was going. He felt the mounting tensions.

One gasped, cupping her mouth. Others froze.

"Why?"

"Maria wanted the fell of her man." Lucy said snidely.

One female pulled her mate closer to her. "Can she do that?" she asked with a low voice.

"What happens to those who displease her? What happens when she is refused? They are massacred! My mate refused her! My mate and I were going to leave!"

"She sent her Jasper after him." Lucy said calmly.

There were more gasps, anger boiling. Jasper didn't know if what the sisters were saying was true. He didn't recall Nettie ever having a mate, or killing him.

"What was your mate's name, dear Nettie?"

Nettie's eyes darkened into dark holes, she looked tired. "Renaldo."

Jasper froze. He remembered the man. He was to be considered a deserter. Maria wanted him hunted down and destroyed and Jasper was all too willing to comply. He felt his jaw clench. Nettie had not been with him, but he had fought harder than any other against him.

"Jasper is the one that needs to be destroyed if we want to get at Maria." A voice said in the darkness of the group.

"No one can defeat him."

"We can. We have to all work together."

"An ambush? Take him when he's not expecting?"

"He is always expecting!"

"What do you suppose?" A thick male voice said finally.

A smile curled the angel-like face but stayed quiet. Her eyes shined with malice.

Nettie caught Lucy's eyes and smiled.

Maria's fears echoed in his mind and Jasper knew he would have to go after them one by one.

~*~

He watched her aptly, enamored, in love. She lay in the bed watching him.

"You have bites." She said simply and Jasper nodded. The pain from their venom felt good to him. A vindication. A memory of those who betrayed his beloved, who sought to destroy him.

She opened her arms to him and he moved into her grasp, kissing her arm as he moved forward. She laughed. "You are in a odd mood, my Jasper."

He nodded, moving over her chest and gently kissing her, moving on to her nipple and suckling it. Maria was nervous at his actions. She grabbed up his face with a questioning look on her face.

"I am making love to you." He said simply. Maria narrowed her eyes.

"What are the bites from my Jasper?" She pushed him away from her.

"Your enemies."

He moved to kiss her again, but she refused his advances. "I will not ask you again."

He sat back; jaw tight, devilish in the candlelight. He pointed to the bite on his arm, "Miranda." He then pointed to his shoulder, "Jose." Maria's eyes lit up. Jasper's head cocked to the side, "Nettie, and here is Caleb." He pointed to two marks on his neck and then pointed to his lower arm where there were several more bites. "Lucy, and here I believe, was Sabrina."

Maria smiled, hearing her sisters had succumbed to Jasper's wrath, she did not care about the others. "You did not believe me, my Jasper."

"I know. I'm sorry about that. Nettie told em' you had me kill Renaldo after he refused you." Maria's eyes grew wild, her body tightened with tension, but Jasper continued. "She said they were going to go away together, so you tried to put yourself on him and his refusal was insulting."

Maria's lips clenched with anger. It radiated off of her, but then she smiled sweetly.

"You said his disappearance was desertion," Jasper stood up, unblinking as he finally put it all together. "You had me kill him, knowin' he didn't desert the coven. You did it because of Nettie."

"Jasper." She scolded, moving toward him on her knees. She was in seductive mode, the only way she knew she could get to him. She pulled him into her smile, giving him an empty kiss as she pulled him on top of her. "You protected me, my Jasper. That is what counts now. I feel safe now. I thank you." She kissed him on his mouth, knowing it was something he craved.

"Come to me; come to my bed, mi amore."

Jasper moved to take off his clothes, his angry eyes on her the whole time. She watched him with excitement. He was going to be rough with her, he and she both knew it. She smiled, she couldn't wait.

~*~

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**A/N: So I loath Jasper/Maria sex scenes cause it makes me recoil to have to write them… so I'll just say it was hard, rough and she liked it, the evil minx that she is... (If you really want another one I'll write one as an outtake later... lemme know.) I only like to envision Jazz/ Alice shmexin' and I can't wait to get to that... **

**P.S. I can see Jackson as Jasper in my head and having met him and listened to him talk and sing I must say him talking dirty would do anyone in. mmm, Jackson. **

**Reviews are almost better than biting a very yummy Jasper. **:} **But not better than Jackson talkin' dirty… I wonder what he'd say… tell me in your reviews... the best ones may make it in here...**


	6. Chapter 4: Jasper

**A/N: In the last chapter I fixed some of the mistakes my lovely reviewer et1141412 graciously pointed out, then I got a wild hair and added more to it... here's more, cause you said update soon, and just like Jasper, I aim to please. ;}**

**I am tidying this on up, more of Jazz's unrequited love saga… I have maybe one or two more Jazz chaps to go before I go back to Alice… then onto them together… just so ya know…**

**I beta'ed this because my husband and friends are asleep and I'm impatient.**

**Love it, hate it, but don't steal it.**

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Chapter 4: Jasper

His memory flooded with images of his time there on the ranch, fighting the other vampire army's and day and nights filled with lust. When she finally invited him into her bed, he was beaming with his love for her, yet the feelings never felt reciprocated.

She did love his reactions to her.

She did love his love for her.

She loved how she could control him and she knew she could make him believe whatever she wanted to. To her it was an exciting game of manipulation, power and control. The sex seemed to be another means of gain in the game.

She did not love him, nor did she ever say that she did. But still Jasper had spent countless hours, countless days, months, trying to charm her, expressing his love and she laughed her seductive laugh, loving the attention. He had hoped his love and devotion for her would be enough for both of them.

When he told her that he wanted her as his mate, she had always seemed to distract him, never willingly wanting to claim him as hers. Maybe that would mean she would have to consider him an equal. That would be something she would never willingly do.

So he had long wanted to separate himself and his feelings for her since he teetered on the edge of madness, conflicted with his love for her and the warnings others expressed about her, as his affections seeming to be transitory, now.

So with all of her ill attention, indifference, distractions, unfounded fears, and manipulations, he could now suspect to add infidelity to her list of betrayals. Yet the lingering reminder that she never acknowledged him as her mate would mean that she wasn't actually betraying him.

He stood guard outside her door, where she had placed him on watch before he was informed that she had been visited by another male in the coven while he was out hunting. He was then told that they could hear the encounter and of her being taken, yet there was no proof and they refused to say who the _he_ was, knowing it would be deadly to them as well as the male in question.

But Jasper needed proof for himself.

As he lingered outside, motionless, there wasn't anything seemingly amiss. There wasn't any sign of her bedding others that he could tell. And she would deny the claims and he would believe in her words, angry that others had done them wrong.

He remembered when he confronted her, how she distracted him, and easily she avoided any explanations or actions.

But he wasn't to be deterred for long, and not this night.

He told her, when he was deeply imbedded within her, carefully bringing her to the brink of her climax, that she needed to express to the others that he was her mate, not just their commander. He watched her face grow angry, frustrated, and violent. Then he said that she was to be faithful to him and that she would express her love to him openly in private as well as in front of the others.

He then withdrew himself and clothed himself as she watched him.

He turned to her, seeing her face twisted and told her, he "wouldn't make love to her until she did right by me." He ignored her fury, her feelings of sexual frustration, and walked out the door, never looking back.

~*~

Jasper wondered if he was too rash. He worried that he had blown the situation out of proportion as he walked past the thick, lush citrus trees. But then as he watched the door of Maria's cabin open for the 6th time, all of those thoughts diminished, all of the rumors resurfaced as well as his pain. Their words of her expressing her lust and need for challengers against Jasper for his position fell true as he felt their nerves going in, and their agitated lust coming out.

Something was off. He could feel it.

"Howdy," A thick voice scuffed up behind him, knowing better than to try to sneak up on Jasper.

"Frederick." He acknowledged with a touch to his hat and a small nod. Frederick was one of the newborns that he had been previously seen in her cabin. But as Frederick had failed to notify Jasper of the basis of the meeting and failed to give any report, his presence was not a welcome one.

Yet Jasper refused to confront any man without evidence of his betrayal. He had learned his lesson from Maria's sister's demise, along with Nettie's mate and their followers.

He laughed. She wasn't his mate so it couldn't be betrayal.

"You on watch?" Frederick said nervously, as Jasper's sudden anomalous laughter caused him stress. Jasper could feel it.

Jasper tipped his hat. "You can say that."

"She know yer watchin' her?"

"You can bet on it."

Frederick nodded in understanding. "First string is out huntin', second is fixin' on goin' next. I ain't gonna tell you how to-"

"Good. Then don't and you may survive to see tomorrow."

"Yessir."

Jasper listened to the descending footsteps still eyeing the cabin. He no doubt would hear the sounds of her lust. It was just a matter of time. But what was he going to do once he did?

The question hurt.

~*~

He watched with fury as his soldiers, Nathan, Stephan, and Victor revolved through her door.

She had laughed at his confrontation, she said they were "meaningless males who were in need of her," and she gleefully gasped with excitement at his passionate rage. Then in the next instance had sympathized with him, held him, and touched him. She whispered the words that would ease his mind at the same time she pleasured his body. He needed to believe her. He wanted to believe her so badly he dismissed his previous threats.

"Take me, mi amor," she sighed, feeling his body reacting to her touch, "show me your love."

He did, and he let all of his emotions emulate from his body, thrusting into her, his loving words thickening the air.

Then after he left, he watched his soldier, Alexander; go into her cabin. He had heard her seductive voice. He listened to their sexual encounter, with painful realization. She had bedded him and then sent him away, just as she did with him.

~*~

He expected her to be his, she eluded that he was, yet it seemed that she was not faithful.

But he continued to vie for her, wanting, needing to be ignorant to the truth of their relationship. He needed to believe he was more to her, to feel a connected. The more he tried to convince her of him, of his loyalties to her; she would bait him on and let him fall. And in his sorrow filled agony, he began to loath himself. He began to think something was wrong with him. And as he strived to be better, a more generous lover, a more powerful fighter; the more he tried and failed with her, the more he seeped deeper into hell.

He had given himself to her, un-mercilessly.

Then he saw the mark. Finally some proof of her love and lust for him.

_That night it had been raining._

_The ranch was lit with lightning and the sounds of the rolling thunder which silenced the wilderness around them. The smoke plumes and warm flames of fireplaces enlightened the small homes that littered their ranch. He had left his room, ignoring the advances and trysts on her from the other men, and decided he was going to be a man and claim what was his. _

_He walked into the room. It was draped with red velvet curtains. The air smelled like fresh rain, dirt, and the spicy perfume of her skin. She laughed as he wandered in, watching him with a smirk._

"_I see that you couldn't stay away, my Jasper," her lips were plumped from her previous visitor, but he put that out of his mind._

"_I want you to be with only me." He said roughly. Her eyes lingered over his body, her lips curling._

"_And why would I do that? This is my coven, my home-"_

"_You are my mate! I want you to say it." He said with conviction._

_She laughed at that. "You want me to love you, Jasper... Come to me; love me…for the night."_

_He sauntered toward her, believing her words, thinking that by bedding her she would finally forsake all others. He was riding on passion, ignoring the truth of the situation as he was blinded by her- by his need for her._

_He had made love to her. He had held her to him, kissed her, and said the loving words in her ear that he had long needed to hear, as he pleasured her. She had kissed him, his mouth, his neck, his body, said his words back to him as she pleasured him. _

_He left smiling, confident. Ignoring all else._

_When he walked outside, the rain had stopped, the moon pierced through the clouds. The night air twisted past him and there was breaking of some sticks in the darkness._

_He took a deep breath smelling the distinct scent of Julio, Jasper's 2__nd__ in command. The air tightened with unwavering hostility causing Jasper to pause._

"_It's quite a night to be out-and-about," he mused, his face tense. _

_Jasper shrugged indifferent, still high from his time with Maria. If there was a problem, Julio would soon act. He would be ready to defend himself… But he didn't know why. _

"_Just came from Maria's?" Julio asked; his armas were soaked from the rain and mud circled around his books. He looked like he was lingering protectively around Maria's. _

"_What's it matter?"_

"_Well." His eyes were wild, "seems to me you've had some fun with her." _

"_She's my mate-"_

_Julio's laughter interrupted him. "Your mate," he scoffed, "she tell ya that?"_

_Jasper's eyes narrowed as he sneered._

"_She could've killed ya Jazz. How stupid are ya?"_

_Jasper hissed at his words, raising his arms defensively. Julio laughed at the motion._

"_Gonna fight me Jazz? Gonna teach me a lesson? You're the one marked for death." _

_Jasper froze at the words, his mind raced back to the way she had moved with him, touched him, and pleased him. She had laughed at his candor, smiled as she seduced him, and mirrored his words and actions. He watched Julio, his eyes tightening. _

"_Got yourself a mark there… on your neck. Don't cha know what that means? Didn't she train you, herself?"_

_Jasper's jaw clenched as he remembered how she trained him, how she moved, teaching him offences and defenses. There wasn't anything he could recall about marking someone._

_But he wasn't about to tell Julio all that. _

"_Guess she kept that biddy to herself round you." He sighed shaking his head, "Maria taught us… some were marked for a reason."_

_He still felt the tension rippling off Julio. He was restraining himself now from attacking… for the moment._

"_So why are you here, Julio? Go back to your quarters." Jasper put command in his voice._

"_Can't."_

_Jasper nodded in understanding. He had enough military training to know. Julio saw Jasper now as the enemy. He was marked. _She_ had marked him. Julio would challenge him for his rank, for command of the army, for Maria._

_He was ready when Julio lunged for him._

* * *

**A/N catching a theme? She spends a lot of time on her back doesn't she? Next chapter has what happens to Alexander. **

**So I read an interview with Jackson today and one of the questions for his movie eclipse was, "Where did Maria bite him to change him?" He didn't answer and I couldn't find that in the book... any ideas??**

**Reviews are almost as good as Jasper whispering sweet nothings in your ear… **

**:}**


	7. Chapter 5: Jasper

**A/N: This chapter is the after from Chapter 2 with Jazz and Aaron and is more of way back when- during Jazz's time with Maria... I am starting to finish up Jazz and Maria so I can get to Alice and Jazz… **

**Jasper's waited long enough… but first he has to break doesn't he? :{**

**Sorry I jump around and keep ya guessing… It's like an Easter egg hunt and makes my inner crazy happy and entertained. I hope it does the same for you. **

**My blessings for a Happy Easter; I hope you all find a golden egg.**

**This story, ideas, etc. are mine. Please behave and don't thieve it. Enjoy it.**

Chapter 5:

Jasper sighed an unnecessarily. It had been a while since he thought of Julio. He was another face and a name of countless newborns he had eradicated. He pulled his hand through his wavy blonde hair, and lowered the cowboy hat on his head. He had been trying to divert his eyes from the soft glow of her home, but it was his time to guard. A position he loathed above all others. A position she had long created to cause her lovers jealousy and contempt of each other.

It had worked.

And when the man came out, whomever he was, marked he would be eradicated, too.

Jasper had been in her bed less than two hours ago and watched as Aaron, a newborn, was called into her room. Jasper could hear to the same sickening words, with the same answers he had so willingly had said long ago, only coming out from Aaron's mouth. They filtered from the room and onto the ranch along with heavy one-sided desire and affection. It would be Aaron's desire and affection and she would feed on. And when Aaron finally came out of the room early that morning, Jasper was sickened with the memory.

_Aaron stumbled out into the dark morning, adjusting the bindings of his pants; his eyes were alit, wild. There was an energy that was not there before; it was lustful with a rumbling fury of vengeance that radiated off of him and when he found Jasper his eyes darkened, all of that rage was directed at him._

_Jasper frowned. _

_ The jealous lover wanted revenge. _

_It was a tale so vividly rehearsed between her and Jasper and other males in the coven. _

"_So what'd she tell ya, Aaron?" He said at ease, sending the feeling outward to calm Aaron. Aaron was instantly put off, trying to maintain his level of anger._

_ "She loved you, Jasper," he stammered and then with furrowed brows he took a large step forward. "And you betrayed her!"_

_ "She loved me? Huh." Jasper mused aloud his head cocked downward slightly as he kicked at the dirt with his boot. His arms flared out as a couple of his fingers hooked his pockets." Did she tell you that, cause she never got round to tell me."_

_Jasper lifted his eyes to Aaron allowing him to see his anger._

_ Aaron blinked his eyes, visibly shocked and rigid._

_ "You… You betrayed her"_

_ "Is that what she said? That I betrayed her? Open your eyes, Aaron. Was she not with you right after me?"_

_ "But I love her!" Aaron said, stressed._

_ "Clearly. But does she love you?"_

_Aaron growled, turning his head slightly, in shame. That is when Jasper saw the ruby crescent stains on Aaron's neck, and his fate was sealed. Jasper was disappointed, remembering his words to Aaron before he left: 'Good luck, son.'_

_Luck was not on his side after all, he thought. _

_ "Have I not taught you well, Aaron?" Jasper said quietly. His lips were pursed, remembering the attempt Maria had made on his own neck. Aaron had given himself freely to her and she could have easily killed him in there. But no, she marked him for Jasper. _

_She wanted Jasper to kill Aaron. _

_Or Aaron to kill Jasper._

_His eyes lifted to the room where Maria was hiding until the job was done. Anger exudes off of him as Aaron watched Jasper carefully but didn't answer. He didn't understand the question. _

_Jasper paused, recalling Maria's lustful attempts at his neck. He pulled out his blade, using the reflection to see and scowled. It was just a slight brush, he thought, but evident enough of how far his apathy had come. His fingers rubbed out the mark, wiping the rouge on his jeans, knowing full well what it meant. _

_His suspicions were right; she had attempted yet another challenger to kill him. _

"_Aaron, you should leave here. Now." Jasper said with authority, sending out the energy. He would try to let Aaron save himself before he had to destroy him. He didn't want to have to end him._

"_I have to defend her honor." Aaron said with conviction, but it was the wrong answer on so many levels as Maria didn't need defending and she had no honor. _

"_You have. Now leave the ranch."_

"_No! No." Aaron said his body was rigid; he was calculating his choices, always coming back to her dishonor. "I will do right by her. She loves me."_

_Sure she does. Jasper scowled and sighed. _

"_She told me what- what you did to her… how you were with her." _

_Jasper placed the blade back into his pants, ignoring Aaron as if he was a pest. At this point he was a pest. _

"_Yeah?" Jasper masked his distress. He had been rough, it was true, but it was not anything different than what they usually had anymore. It wasn't worse than the things she had done to him in their years together. It wasn't worse than what was about to happen. And at any moment Aaron's energy would shift and he would pounce and Jasper would be ready. Just like Jasper so many others, Aaron had made love to her and she sent him out to his executioner. _

_She was far worse._

"_I will give her back the honor you stole."_

_Jasper dismissed his comment. "Did you know that you're marked?" Jasper mirrored Julio's same conversation._

"_Marked?" Aaron faltered, but recovered, fists clenched._

"_Yessir', "The rouge on your neck…" He lifted his hand to point to Aaron's left. "It's a mark that Maria gives those she wishes exterminated. Look if you want."_

_Aaron didn't need to see it. Her spicy scent saturated his mind; it was all over his skin and her words still whispered in his mind. He knew Jasper was jealous of their relationship. He knew that Jasper had tried to win over Maria, to no avail. But the words still bit at him. Aaron stammered, unmoving, remembering how she kissed his neck, how she pleased him with her mouth, he loved her mouth on him. He had given himself to her, made love to her, soft and smooth. He relished in these feelings. _

_Aaron loved watching her being please by his touch, by his body. _

"_I apologize that I had not taught you well enough, Aaron." Jasper said as he shook his head, deeply sorrowed, and took a step forward. Aaron's hands lifted defensively, but Jasper ignored it. _

"_Yer jealous!" he said body rigid and one hand pointing, "Yer just tryin' to get me to turn against her!"_

"_No. I just know the game." Jasper sighed deeply, calm. "Aaron, think about how many people-"_

"_No! No! I am the only one that matters to her now!" there was so much pain warring within him with his anger and jealousy, "She said… she said I'm her mate." _

"_I doubt that she said that. Besides, wasn't I supposed to be her mate?" _

"_You use her!" Aaron was yelling._

"_You and I both know I don't use her, Aaron. It's another manipulation. She wants you to think that way. She wants your submission… your death. She marked you-"_

"_She marked you too." Aaron seethed. "I saw you wipe it off."_

_He was right. Jasper couldn't argue._

"_Perhaps she wishes for us to destroy each other?" Jasper mused, smirking. "Perhaps you could just leave and save yourself."_

_That sent him over the edge. His eyes were feral. _

"_You leave! She is my mate. I will not leave her."_

_Aaron's reaction was commendable, yet dense to reality. Jasper had seen this countless times. It was getting old._

"_She is everyone's mate." Jasper scoffed, watching Aaron carefully, "who do you suppose is in with her now?"_

_That was all it took._

_Aaron lunged for Jasper, twisting thru the air with the same moves that Jasper had taught him, it was unfortunate and made defending himself simple. Jasper turned away, quickly grasping Aaron's neck and threw him to the ground. The ground quaked, loudly, as birds in the distance squawked their annoyance as they flew away. _

_Aaron, rebounded up, his jaw tight, eyes bright and wary. He ran toward Jasper, trying to grasp his arm, but missed and was pushed yet again to the ground._

"_Had enough?" Jasper said, bored. "You could still go. Walk away."_

_There was a growl rumbling from Aaron's chest. He stood up in an instant, again lunging for Jasper. Jasper's arm coiled around Aaron's collar easily, holding him still. Aaron's teeth sunk into Jasper's arm, piercing his flesh. _

_It was a mild annoyance as he was used to the feeling. Jasper sighed. It was an ill fated attempt-; Aaron's only defense left- and the bite would be a reminder of Aaron for as long as Jasper lived, the only thing that would be left of him._

_That was a sentimental thought, Jasper mused, annoyed with himself. With a slight shake of the head, shaking the sentiments off, Jasper simply grabbed him, pounced on his back and bit Aaron's neck. There was a scream that rippled through the air as Jasper tore the flesh of skin stained ruby red, with his teeth. The next moment, Aaron's head was ripped off his torso, followed by his arms and his legs. _

_Jasper sighed, wiping Aaron's venom from his mouth, then his arm. _

_Jasper held on to the twitching remains and threw them gently onto the pyre. This was beyond ridiculous anymore. How was he supposed to maintain an army by killing their coven members after her lust filled nights? When was she going to accept that he wasn't so easy to be killed? _

_He wondered what he was still doing here._

-

_Times were changing so quickly now, the Civil war had long ended and his rank of a major was expired, just as his soldiers have. He was once powerful, charming, successful… but had probably been listed as a deserter, missing, or was hunted. Jasper Whitlock, once a proud name, was forever tarnished. _

_He didn't know why his past had affected him so much lately. But this lifestyle had been tiresome on him for far too long. He had watched Monterrey and Old Lubbock merge into Lubbock in 1890. He watched as countless homes and shops sprouted up and littered the once vast open plains. It was quickly imposing on their large claim. _

_Her claim, actually. _

_Jasper sighed; he didn't even what to think about that right now. _

_He had watched on the sidelines as World War I, started and ended as he maintained the laughable job of commanding and training Maria's "army" of newborns that he once took so seriously. Maria said that she needed them to defend their land against other vampire armies since the crusades. And as their lifestyle became more noticeable, and being threatened' the more violent and blood thirsty she became. He grew more depressed. The as more newborns were created, trained and destroyed._

_But Jasper blamed himself, feeling that he hadn't trained them well enough, which was a blow to his psyche. They had a choice, thought too. They could have left. Maybe they would have, perhaps some would have had a semblance of a future if he wasn't there to do her bidding._

_-_

_He glared at the pyre of twitching remains with new anger, absentmindedly rubbing his arm. He could still feel the venom from Aaron's feeble attempt to defend himself. His struggle was commendable but no match for Jasper; there were few that were anymore, but he had liked Aaron, thought him a friend, his soldier, and then he had destroyed him. _

_For no reason other than her lipstick mark of death. _

_He could still feel the man's feelings of betrayal and fear lingering in the air. He could still smell the lust from Maria's spicy scent on him and on Aaron. Jasper clutched the strip of Aaron's neck that he had bitten off; the stains from her gloss were still visible on it and he tossed it on top of the pile. He would let that burn last._

'_Aaron would have been a year tomorrow,' the thought suddenly came to him. "Such a waste of life," he said in a murmur and then distress and anxiety pulsed through him at the word, life. Countless faces filtered through his mind, so- so many… destroyed. By him. _

_Slowly he looked around him; taking in the sporadic homes and tents that littered Maria's land. His soldiers, some friends, most of them were newborns or slightly older and many of them had mates… true lovers. All were created for her, for her greed, power and control._

_The wind rustled through his hair, it was cool, crisp. He looked up at the horizon at the purple pastel colors painting the grass, teasing it with light. It was close to dawn. He fumbled with his front pocket, pulled out the small hand rolled cigarette and held it between his lips. Cupping it with his hand, he lit it, breathing in the warmth before the smoke settled in his empty lungs. He flicked the cigarette onto the pyre and after a few moments, flames licked at Aaron's marble skin as little finger plumes of purple smoke danced upward to the sky. It could almost be poetically construed that it was as if Aaron's soul was lifting into the heavens as his ashes seeped back into Hell. _

Soul.

_He laughed with disdain at the word as he kicked some embers into the fire, igniting it further. The soul was considered an exhortation to their kind, something clearly they didn't possess as they consumed the very life from those they fed on._

_Normally, he would have burned the remains out in the field where they had fought, but he was feeling sentimental. _

_Wary members of the coven started emerging from their tents and homes, sniffing at the air and upon seeing the purple flames and burning remains their faces displayed alarm, fear, and anger. Jasper watched as they fidgeted and whispered, wondering what Aaron could have done to deserve this fate. It would look like revenge, he decided, retaliation from being with his Maria. The thought sickened him._

_Maria wandered out of her room with the sheet draped over body and gasped with feigned contempt as she padded lightly over the grass. She ignored the stares of her coven and she scowled at the fire, her eyes wild._

_It made him smile. _

_This was the reason he had taken Aaron's remains to her door._

_She looked at him, real anger flashed in her eyes. Perhaps she had thought it would be him in the pyre. Perhaps she was actually affected by Aaron's death, Jasper mused._

"_You had to do that here?" She sneered in between pursed lips, drawing the sheet over her face, as not to inhale the smoke as her eyes darted to the others in the coven. _

_Obviously not._

"_Yes, ma'am." He answered smoothly. He sent the feelings of agitation and fear into the atmosphere and watched as it affected her and the others. Instantly Maria bit at her cheek, eyes darkening. She would watch her words for the moment. There was an audience… and a fire… and a pissed off Jasper. Fire was not to be messed with, but neither was he._

_He looked up at her, smiling. He could see that she was weathered from her night on her back. Her hair was bunched up from the frictions of her lovers, he guessed, as his kind never slept. _

_He wondered how many she had had tonight, but with the rise and fall of his shoulders he decided he really didn't care. He should have cared- he should have felt a tinge of betrayal or jealousy- but right now looking at the pyre, he didn't feel anything. _

_Maria gave an exasperated, irritated sigh then withdrew back into her home as the flames grew larger, thicker. But the motionless statues that littered the plains intently watched the burning. It was a warning, they knew, and they were visibly stressed, scared, angry. _

_He couldn't take their emotions, anymore. _

_He had been there for so long and Maria wanted him dead. _

_The line of the sun on the horizon lit up the tips of the grassy plains illuminating yet another day. _

~*~

* * *

**A/n: So there's a facet of our Jasper starting to break. **

***The next chap goes back in time to when/ how he trained the newborn army- back during civil war and then onward… as I married a former military man he's gonna help.**

***Are you all missing Alice or do ya want me to finish up Jazz? I have her Chp 3 ready but I've been sitting on it. Lemme know.**

***I will be soon changing my name from rwmarm to something else. Justsoyaknow..**

**Reviews will give ya a blib of one of Alice and Jasper's love scenes in the A/n of the next chap… I will try to post this weekend.**

;}


	8. Chapter 6: Jasper

**A/N This goes back to the Civil War days, after Jasper killed Julio... in avoidance of redundancy, I am avoiding fight scenes. We all know Jasper is a badass. In other attempts in avoidance, please note: Maria is a bitch. Jasper is a charismatic bug in her jar, and so I'd like to flash forward to the breaking points… **

**A blib of Jalice is after the end notes... I hope you like it... when I started to write it I had so much fun it became like 8 pages long…**

**Please ignore my mistakes. My beta's are busy with school. They apparently have lives. Who'd have thought it? So I traded sexual favors for editing from my husband…**

**I'd like to take a moment to express my thanks to the readers who like my story, I continue this madness for them as I look forward to their reviews. ****They are: ****MagentaMasen, Karkoolka, et1141412, prettyinblack8, Bloodypassion, I'mwiththevampires08, and CaitCullen. Even tho I don't respond to each one I love them... Please check out their stories if they have them... I am.**

* * *

Ever since Julio failed taking down Jasper, Maria had become more aggressively hostile to the coven as a whole as well as spent time trying to seduce Jasper and the others within the coven without the others knowing. But as she manipulated Jasper and his emotions, he faltered with his trust, sometimes she was being optimistic in the relationship when she gave him an ounce of hope of him obtaining her heart. But each of one her affections or attentions came with a price, and never at her expense.

~*~

After the smoke cleared and Julio's remaining cinders flew with the wind, Maria smirked with a coy little smile, and then went on a hunt out on her own.

Not long later, Jasper was on watch circling the homestead when he watched her come up the path with another young man, a human. He was emitting sexual pheromones as she touched him with her gloved hand on his face. She whispered seductively to her victim promising sexual gratifications as the others in the coven wandered close with interest with the inviting smell of the human. This human, no doubt, had welcomed her sexual attentions.

"Maria, don't this," Jasper said, sending fear and caution vibrations into the atmosphere as the human stumbled forward. The human's chest ballooned to make himself look bigger as his lust dissipated into acute fear that someone was going to stop him from his sexual encounter.

"Jasper," she cooed, "you seem to think you can tell me, 'don't'?" she laughed." And I will listen?" She moved closer to the man and whispered, "He's threatened by you, mi amor. He wants me, too."

The human's eyes narrowed on Jasper. "No. You're mine."

She smiled and winked at Jasper knowing he could hear them, then whispered. "I fear him. I fear his jealousy." She pouted, feigning tears.

"Don't fret, lil' lady. I'll protect you."

The man turned toward Jasper with new bravado, giving him a visual threat.

Jasper clenched his jaw; he looked at the man sizing him up. He was taller than Jasper, lanky with muddy red hair and dark eyes. He was dressed in a flannel work shirt as if he was a farm hand so possible strong and quick for a human, but was too timid to be any threat to Jasper. So Jasper just dismissed him if he were just a meal.

As the other hunts have gone in the past by luring singular humans to their abode, the other coven members came in closer for the meal.

The human then noticed the others approaching and stared at each beatific face staring at him. Some of those faces smiled; flaring their razor sharp teeth, others merely stared trying to control the urge to attack him. The human's bravado then turned to terror.

"Dearest Albert," she cooed at him and he seemed to stiffen, listening intently to each of her words. "You seem nervous, _mi amor_; I want you to feel at home. Don't mind my friends."

She stopped, looking at him with a coy smile. He managed a slight smile, taking large pulls of air into his lungs. Jasper wondered if the human was sensitive to his surroundings, too; if he had abilities.

The man nodded his head breathing in her spicy scent, visibly relaxing. They moved forward sitting down on the front porch, torturing her coven members with restraint.

"I think I should go," Albert said warily. But he was immediately lost in Maria's aura as they locked eyes, forgetting about the others present.

Maria tsk-ed him with a frown, and she moved closer to kiss Albert. Jasper moved from his post, turning around to give them their privacy, keeping his feelings in check so she would not elevate her display.

"Jasper," She called out to him, seeing him turn. She mumbled to the man, fully knowing Jasper could hear. "Don't mind him, he is only my guard."

Jasper looked at her, catching her glare, "Yes ma'am?" he said in a long drawl.

She smiled; he noticed how empty it now seemed. "You will maintain your post while I entertain my guest."

"Yes ma'am." He said.

Albert watched Jasper warily with jealousy and annoyance. He was almost where Maria liked her men. She just needed to seduce him to add his lust for her.

Jasper kept the man's glare, winked at him and cocked a smile. The man instantly reacted defensively as Maria seemed to scowl.

Maria looked back at her escort with feigned interest. "You wish to love me, no?"

The man cleared his throat, turning to the woman beside him. His eyes lowered to the nape of her neck and then down to her breasts that were covered in gossamer cloth. He seemed to nod, and she moved closer to him, whispering, "Shall I change you, mi amor?"

The man coughed, not knowing exactly how to answer, possibly thinking she was referring to his virginity.

He nodded with excitement walking through the door. Maria closed it behind her.

Jasper listened to the sounds within the room. He could hear from his post Albert trying to please Maria, grunting with each stroke. It wouldn't be long now.

Moments later he could hear the futile screams of Albert, as Maria easily bled him dry. She obviously chose not to change him after all. When she was done, Jasper would have to clean her mess.

~*~

Tonight Jasper was going to take the third string to hunt. They were newly made newborns that seemed resistant to conforming to the rules. Often Jasper had to "entice" them to behave. One such reward was to go out in a hunting party, such as tonight. They were going to test their willpower around the humans.

They ran forward crossing the thick grassy plains, passing the deer and other wildlife. They needed to search for what humans could remain in the area without causing a noticeable disturbance.

He gave a closed fist hand signal, which told the others to stop and remain unmoving. They were lined on either side of him, straining their wild eyes and sniffing the air for any threat or feast. But they remained silent awaiting Jasper's next command.

"Listen." He said, as ten wild red eyes watched him. "Test your senses; don't just rely on your sense of smell. We all smell the fires, we all smell the rotten flesh, but that don't always mean a fresh meal. The obvious sounds are the gunfire. We want to go beyond the spent battlefields."

Two of the vampires started to hiss as they struggled to maintain composure.

"Fight it. Hold your breath, use only your hearing."

The growl from behind him told Jasper they couldn't control themselves much longer. "You must resist, maintaining your human qualities. We expect you to be able to present yourself with some control!"

"There is something to the north. I can hear it." One small voice said. Jasper could hear the ruffling of tracks low to the ground, there was the crackling of the night fire with the lazy snores of men lying under the night sky.

"Good." Jasper said with a smirk and the small female smiled with the minimal praise. "Now smell how many there are."

There was a mass instantaneous intake of air, faces lifting to the sky as their eyes opened dark and shining in the moonlight.

"Hundreds, it seems, probably in a bivouac*." David said. He was Jasper's second in command. (*A bivouac is basically a tented city.)

Jasper nodded with pride and then he turned to the group of four newborns, "Nicholas, strategy of attack?"

Nicholas stiffened, his eyes wild. "Half go on in, friendly like, non-threatenin'… Others go circle the unit. Dependin' on if they be sleepin' or not, we go on in for the kill."

Jasper's jaw clenched, it was such an amateur plan of attack. Based on some of the newborn's history, he could understand that some lacked leadership skills necessary to perform in their army.

"That would be an obvious and effective line of attack usually, however, what of the acoustic shadows* lurkin' round? Who else wants to give strategizin' a go?" (*An acoustic shadow is_ a civil war term for a modern day observational posts, op's, or a sentry. Sentry's were set out on perimeter of the line, in front of the unit to warn his unit in case someone approaches to give them enough time to react or escape.)_

He was waiting, bating their silence, feeling their anxiety and wanting to rebel and attack the first thing they come upon.

David sighed, "If ya'all can't develop a plan of attack, how are you fixin' ta ever eat?"

There were growls of frustrated hunger.

"Let's go over this, again. There are hundreds of them, at least. There are also the acoustic shadows. The field hands, land owners, mama's and youngin's in this area don't need preyin' upon tonight. In other words, ya'all need to know your prey. That is the point of this restraint exercise." David, another of the coven that volunteered to help Jasper, said with a warning glare at each newborn.

"Yes," Jasper agreed, "your prey will only be what we say tonight. Prey on any others and you'll pay. So with that said, since we are nocturnal creatures and the humans are not, we are at the current advantage." Jasper started, "They battle mostly durin' the day, you can expect that they will be in their bivouac sleepin' or serving their needs.

"Also, you can bet they've placed this bivouac in a viable place that would have several escape routes in case of an attack. Goin' on in as an outsider will cause a disturbance. Ya'all need to be thinkin' about us as if we were like a pride of lions; take out a few of the outside herd without bein' observed by the whole. In order to do this, we need to study their habits, rotations, and get them to where they are easy meat. We need to separate them into a choke point where there is limited means of escape. Put them into a choke point; a small area, a ravine, where there is limited escape, forward or back. You don't get them in an open field where they may run in any direction to escape."

He looked around them, seeing their nods of understanding; his information was easily distracting them from their thirst, for now.

"The most practical prey would be the acoustic shadows. They'll be more easily disposed of and their disappearance wouldn't be noticed until the next rotation, by which they most likely would be thought of as deserters. Ya'all be huntin' them out in groups. As ya'll come upon an acoustic shadow, one of yun will quickly snap his neck like a chicken, quietly before he can alert the others of his unit with a shot of his gun. Once he is dead, the others will come on in to feed. This will alleviate any blood frenzy. Understood?"

He waited for their nods. "Good. Ya'll be broken into groups now." He then broke them in to two groups and told them that they were to meet back at the vantage point, with a two human kill per group limitation tonight. It wouldn't be enough to live off of for long, but it would be enough before the next training exercise.

"Be aware of other vampire armies and alert us of any disturbances."

They moved almost silently in the moonlight as the wind ran its fingers through their hair.

-

They lingered into camp as the sun started to peek over the land. Jaspers felt as if the weight of the world was lying on his shoulders. He knew he would have to meet with Maria to disclose how the newest recruited newborns were adapting to their second life. The morning breezed past him, pushing him gently to where he desperately didn't want to be.

He knew she expected the executions of many in the coven. It was a necessary evil as she continually refused his requests for dismissing the newborns once they turned one, unless they were a quality soldier with amiable means; either in sexual, strength, or innate abilities she could use in her behalf.

~*~

1946

**(Quick A/N: This takes place the day after Aaron's execution.)**

The thick morning heat had already absorbed the dawn's dew, shriveling the grassy strands into long rigid razor blades.

It was indicative to their relationship.

His hands breezed over them, immune to their catches.

The sex, the feelings that she demanded… the control; it all warred against his nature. He was raised to be respectful to women, protect them, care and love them, and Maria had taken that compassion and used it against him, relentlessly. His empathetic qualities angered him.

_She should feel something for me after 85 years_; the words pulsed in his mind like poison in his veins.

She was poison.

-

Jasper's hat blocked the hot afternoon Texas sun; long sleeves covered his arms as gloves covered his hands and the sunglasses covered the red of his eyes. It was a necessary evil for his kind.

Looking into the distance, he could see that there were houses. They seemed like a mirage, radiating in the waves from the heat of the ground. The coven had watched as the land was encroached upon, year after year. But Maria seemed oblivious, even when he expressed his concerns and mentioned leaving.

This was _her_ land, she had said. She had no plans to move from her home no matter what. She expected him to remain with her, as she expected the coven to remain here with her.

But Jasper had learned something since he became friends with Peter and Charlotte, that love and finding a mate was a possibility, but not as long as he was here or around Maria.

Soon the land would be approached upon with human neighbors. There wasn't anything any of them could do about it.

Jasper knew that the fabricated Army of newborn vampires Maria armed herself with was an unnecessary situation anymore. As it was, they were more ranch hands than they would be fighters, as there was little to no need to control their domain from nomads anymore, and Maria had to know this.

She would have to realize that they were outcasts. She would have to realize that law enforcement has since expanded exponentially, no longer the 'old west'. No longer were missing people as easily dismissed. Maria was playing with fire remaining here.

She walked through the long grasses, still disappointed about Aaron's demise and annoyed with Jasper's presence and touched the rim of her hat in greeting. Her face was scowling as her long hair braided down her back swayed with each long step. She wore a long tan skirt, long sleeved white shirt, cowboy hat and boots.

"Jasper," her mouth smirked, "I want you to send first string out to hunt tonight."

Jasper curtly nodded, lifting the hay up, over, and into the truck. Their ranching activities gave him purpose, minimally, and their ranch income. The first string was made up of six male newborn vampires, each with a general thick structure, incredibly strong. "Except Peter, he will be with me, in my room tonight..." Jasper froze, turning slowly to look at her. There was an impious glare on her smirking face.

He stood straighter, glaring down on her.

"Yes, you heard right, _mi amor_. I _want_ Peter tonight. And I want _you_ to send him to _me_."

He knew this was a thin line to tread. "He's my man; I will come in his place."

"No. You made perfectly clear, you don't want me. Plus you'll be busy… elsewhere." She fluttered her fingers around her.

His lips thinned. He couldn't send Peter to her. It would devastate Charlotte and Peter would never jeopardize their relationship. And refusing Maria was a death sentence. He would have to come up with interference.

"Yes ma'am." He said, controlling his emotions.

She smiled. "Don't you want to know your task for tonight, while I have my Peter?" she laughed again.

"Enlighten me." He sneered.

She gasped in feigned offense, and then recovered, "Charlotte."

He shifted unnecessarily, waiting for her to continue. There was no way she was going to allow relations between him and Charlotte, not that he would, anyway.

"Charlotte." He mirrored her statement.

"Yes, Jasper. Dispose of her."

"Why don't you do it and save the dramatics of burdening me with your visits?" He wanted to seem indifferent. Any personal reaction would peak her interest. She could devastate the entire coven just to get a reaction out of him.

She dismissed his statement. "It needs to be done while I have him. Their relationship is too... close… Then the start with the second string-"

"The second string?"

"Don't be coy." She paced in front of him, encircling him. She would try to seduce him, now. Her game was redundant. "You and I know they are a burden to me," she touched his face. He didn't want to breathe; he didn't want to smell her spicy alluring scent.

"Hardly."

Her eyes narrowed. "You refuse my orders, Jasper? Do you question me? That would be most… disappointing." She smiled wickedly.

He refrained from rolling his eyes, her threats empty, "So my orders are to exterminate Charlotte as you _try_ to bed her mate?" But Jasper knew she was setting Peter up to challenge Jasper, just as he knew she would want Charlotte to see him going to her room. It would make Charlotte feel inferior to Maria as the blame and hatred would be on Peter, rather than Maria, as it would be on Jasper. It was a win situation for Maria, alleviating her of these nuisances; as she saw them.

"Try?" she laughed. "You seem to _try_ to provoke me!"

"And you seem to think Peter will welcome your advances, welcome betraying Charlotte, as he and others have seen your door swing open and shut with each of our rotations. You are not as enigmatic as you think, Maria."

She gave him a hauntingly vacant stare. He knew she was close to attacking him. He decided to push her more. "You think the coven will remain ignorant? Each meeting, each seduction, I see their reactions; I feel their fear of me and their wonder in how you could so easily deceive. They see the males go into your meetings, and then they'd see them in the pyre. They are not as ignorant as you wish them to be."

"They are my coven, they belong to me. I will create and dispose of them as I please."

"Which of course, you mean me. I am to do your disposing. Yet you still create those whom you seek to challenge me, knowing they will fail. You hope to make the coven fear me, alienate me."

She looked like death. Like a predator as she walked around him, trying to circle him like a wolf would a lamb. But he moved in her dance, fearless of her. There was no way he'd submit to her.

She faltered, giving him a smile meant to seduce. He knew her game. "Are you still begrudged about Aaron?" she paused, touching his face lightly. "I knew you would prevail, _mi amor_… but you understand my need to… keep you honed."

Jasper growled loudly, allowing her to feel his anger. She needed to fear him. She needed to know he will not be easily seduced to do her bidding. She had long killed any semblance he could still maintain for her. Preying on his only friend and his mate, having him kill off the coven, she had lost his servitude.

"Don't use your feelings on me, Jasper, they matter not. You will do as I say; the third string will be terminated. I've decided to keep the first. And you will send in Peter. You are dismissed."

~*~

Japer grasped wire and the wire cutters from the shed. He would fix the fence, first, he thought. It was a convenient excuse to get away. The others had long retreated into their respective homes or some had had gone to work the ranch before they ran off to hunt.

He passed by a figure whose eyes danced brightly red, acknowledging his appearance.

"Hello Jasper." She said. It was not a seductive greeting; it was kind, like the ones that he was used to in his human life. Her large eyes gauged him carefully for a moment before she smirked smartly.

"Good morning, ma'am," he greeted tipping his hat.

She smiled, showing her sharp white teeth. "You know you can call me Charlotte, Jasper." She giggled light heartedly. Jasper could feel her kind energy. She was one of the few predators among them that seemed to evolve passed all the clutching needs for blood. He guessed that she was much like her human self, busily tending to the flowers.

Charlotte kneeled in her long dress, over a section of the garden. She was unworried of the dirt that stained her long skirts. Her long hair cascaded down her back from underneath her upturned cowboy hat and covered most of her flowery shirt. She turned, having heard a sound and raised her gloved hand to block the sun to see. She smiled brightly looking off to her side at a man standing off in the distance.

Jasper didn't need to look to know it was Peter.

"How's them flowers comin' along?" He asked in a thick drawl. His eyes, dark, were alit under his grin.

"Well, they don't go runnin' off every time I get near. And they're pretty."

"True. True. But they don't do ya justice, neither."

"You sweet-talkin' me?" she laughed.

"Making an observation," he laughed.

Jasper snickered, but he felt their unsaid emotions; the sexual tensions between them. He felt rude just standing there next to them. It hadn't been very long since Charlotte had joined them at the ranch willingly as a guest, even though she knew Maria wanted her hands on her ranch too, ever the Faust. But Charlotte remained steadfast in her lands defense, unrelenting. She was not willing to succumb to Maria's charms, only there for Peter.

The female competition was not a plus to the situation either.

But there wasn't much Maria could do, at the moment. And when she learned of the connection between Charlotte and her Peter, she hesitantly extended her welcome into their coven. It wasn't necessarily for Peter or Charlottes benefit, it was yet another manipulative stance, a means of control. Maria liked all her people under her glare and under her thumb. She felt that if Charlotte was there, there would be an outside threat of reprisal.

Jasper, Peter and Charlotte contemplated the situation regularly. They knew that Maria would be constantly trying to looking for any chance she could get to get in between the two strongest vampires in the coven, the three-year-old Peter and Jasper.

Now that every other previous threat and challenger had failed, Jasper knew she would be looking for another adversary to carry out her plans. They were all watchful, always on alert.

"Jasper, a word?" Peter called, shuffling away from Charlotte and towards him.

Jasper tipped his hat, turning in Peter's direction. He locked his jaw.

"So what happened this morning? With Aaron." Peter was blunt. You always knew where you stood with him and what he stood for.

"Your best guess is probably accurate." He said, watching her house. She would be cleaning herself up after her night, soaking in her bath… conniving.

Peter nodded. "Yep. Probably. Look, Charlotte and I have been talkin'… we plan to head north. She's got her land here and the deed is secure and some of her coven's fixin' to look after it."

"Maria won't like that," Jasper warned, "havin' other vampires around her land."

"Yeah, see, I just don't care." Peter grinned, "after what happened in the morn and the like, Charlotte reckons gettin' outta here as soon as possible, and settlin' on her land is too close to Maria for her likin'."

Jasper nodded.

"You could come with…" Peter said. He cocked his head, waiting for an answer. When one didn't come, he adjusted the rope on his shoulder, laying it at his feet.

"Look, you an' I know what she's like and I know you're loyal. But look around. We ain't to be expected to stay here all forever. The coven and ranch work now, but for how long? And it only works cause of you. But how long will she need all these males, these defenses? The vampire crusades are a thing of the past. You need to go on an' live this life, than tryin' to hold on to somethin' not there."

Jaspers eyes watched him and then looked back at the kneeling Charlotte watering the flowers. He could hear the distance hum from her as if she was right next to him. That, in turn meant she and anyone else could hear them. His lips formed a rigid line.

He could feel their content-ness with each other, their love and devotion. He had heard and felt their generous love and feverish lust. It was something he could only wish for. It was painful to be around.

"You could have that, too, ya know… Just think about it."

Jasper nodded and Peter walked away.

Jasper failed to notify Peter of his meeting with Maria, tonight. He wouldn't betray his only friend and his mate. He'd suffer the consequences. Based on his opinions he freely gave earlier in the day, he imagined they'd be fierce.

~*~

**A/N: Here is an Alice and Jasper lemon:**

She sighed with a smile.

_She could see him kissing her skin, moving to her mouth, sweet small kisses down her neck moving down to gentle palm her breast as his mouth slowly took in her nipple through her blouse. _

She gasped, blinking rapidly.

In an instant his was up on his feet, staring cautiously into her eyes. "What's the matter, darlin'?"

"Ah, I saw you kissing me?"

He smiled slyly. "Did ya now?"

"And I let you kiss me. And I liked it."

"Well, if you saw it, then I suppose it'll happen right?" Oh, how he wanted her sight to be right at this moment.

His words lingered in her mind. It was like he was asking permission almost. She wondered what kissing him would be like, how he would taste, where he would want to kiss her.

He felt her mood instantly. It raked over his nerves, torturing him. He wanted to grab her pull her to him and be inside her, claim her. But he stifled the animalistic growl threatening to escape and remained calm; he didn't want to scare her off. He remembered he was waiting for her answer, although only seconds passed by.

He smiled at her again, more encouraging.

"Yes," She said in a high pitched voice.

"Well, then. Where did I kiss you?"

She licked her lips, lifting her hand and pointing to her mouth, then straight to her neck, and then her finger lined down to her chest, lingering there before she dropped it at her side. He felt his body inwardly drawback, demanding her body, demanding the touch and his body demanded release.

He heard the small gasp from her again and he felt his body instantly react to it. He was so hard it was painful.

"What is it?" he asked in a strangled voice.

She shook her head, her eyes moving over his body and stopping at the zipper of his pants. He felt the excitement mounting as she pulled in and let out harsh breaths, watching her legs shaking.

"I'm going to kiss you now, sweet love."

She nodded as he moved forward. He closed his eyes, trusting in her innocence that she wouldn't harm him. He wanted to trust her, needed to. He opened them slightly, "Don't move and let me kiss you." He said slowly, persuasively.

His lips touched hers, a feathery touch and he could feel her breath on him in little, sweet, cool bursts. She breathed instinctively, still not fully accepting she wasn't human. He touched her more firmly, touching her lip with his tongue, smiling as her breathing hitched and her smile twitched. She moved her lips, kissing him back, and copying his motions, licking his lip.

He tasted like a bit like smoke, leather and mint. She moaned, closing her eyes and kissing him so much more deeply. She thought she heard him growl, but she didn't care; kissing him was her new most favorite thing to do.

She noticed he moved from her lips kissing her cheek and down her neck.

"I do love that, Jazzy." She said, relishing in the parallel of her vision and his actions. She heard his growl and she giggled at the sound.

"You're so animalistic. It's cute."

He moved away, looking at her soft eyes, her pixie face shining, "Animalistic isn't _cute_."

"Yep. It is."

"No, this is cute," he said touching her nose with his fingertips, "and this is beautiful," his fingers lined the curl of her face, down her neck, over her collarbone and slowly over the curve of her right breast. "And this, this is sexy." She gasped as he palmed her outside her blouse. His head moved slowly and she knew what he was going to do, it took every ounce not to bounce with excitement.

His mouth kissed her, his lips tracing the mound as he soon felt the bump of her nipple and sucked it in his mouth.

"More, Jazzy." She said as her breath hitching and she arched her back.

"You're not ready for more, darlin'."

He felt her mood shift. She didn't like being told no and he instantly braced himself for her lashing as he would when he angered Maria.

"I'm not ready? Really?"

He nodded solemnly, a curve to his lips as he watched, relieved.

"Cause you said I'm not?" She tilted her head to the side like a curious kitten.

He nodded again.

"So when I say, '_MORE_' Jasper, I really don't understand what I am saying?"

He just stood motion less.

"So, then its good I've got you to tell me what I am and am not ready for… because I saw you touching me. I saw you, ah… naked. But I guess it's all in here, ya know, in my head." She tapped on her temple to exemplify her point. So unbelievably cute.

He smiled vibrantly, "Now that's not fair, darlin'-"

"So I must be crazy," she mused, inside her own head again. "At least I saw you naked in my head… mmmm. So beautiful… nice muscled chest… mmm I wonder what it-"

He tapped at shoulder, interrupting her thoughts and she looked up at him with annoyance.

"Stop it Jazzy. I'm looking at you naked in my head."

He smiled brightly for a moment before he recovered. "I'm sorry Alice, I shouldn't tell ya what ya are and ain't ready for. Now, it's not altogether fair, darlin', that you've seen me, but I have yet to see you… you ready to for me to see you?"

**A/N: whatcha think?? **

**There's one more chapter in the Jazz/ Maria void. Then onto Alice… I am not going crazy with her. I am as impatient for them as you. **

**Reviews are as good as bitch slapping Maria. I seriously want to. So… do you?**

:}


	9. Chapter 3: Alice

**A/N: Hello lovely reviewers/ lurkers...**

**So based on your reviews you dislike poor psychotic Maria. She'd feel your hatred if she actually could care enough to. But I am not done with them yet… (You can thank my husband for her wickedness. I make her bad and he makes her worse.)**

**Since some of you have taken an active interest in my story I decided to put Alice's Chap 3 out there so I hope ya like it…tell me if ya do... bite your tongue if not.**

**I must say this story is fictional; any likeness to plot or scenario is purely coincidental and not meant to offend. It is rated M for a reason. Alice has some ideas about what she is due to the power of suggestion. (How would you feel if you woke up the same way she did? That is what I tried to portray.) Don't steal my story or plot or I'll stick Maria on ya!**

**SM owns all; I claim a 7 year old who thinks he's always right and can win any argument by first stating, "Actually," in each of his sentences. It's as cute as it is annoying. -Hismysticmuse**

* * *

Alice slipped into the private sanatorium without anyone really noticing. She resembled an unkempt patient and no one was willing to acknowledge her and thus be responsible for her care.

She padded over the cold floor, down the hall and into a linen closet. She pulled out some fresh linens and a nurse uniform. Carefully, she closed the door. She shimmied quickly down the hall and ducked into a room, shutting herself in.

_Ten seconds… male walks into the room… brunette will walk in 2 minutes later_. She saw the pictures clearly, knowing that she needed to find a place to hide Alice searched frantically only seeing the exit and the closet. She was trapped.

The closet door closed just as the other opened.

"_This room needs to be prepared for another patient."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Did you have a question?"_

"_Pardon me, but is it true she's gone missing?"_

"_The patient has been discharged._"

The voices were just outside the door. Alice listened, thinking they must be talking about her.

"Yes, of course." Meg knew the orderly must have been lying. Her eyebrows drew together in judgment but bit at her cheeks in silence and walked into the room. It felt warning with an odd scent in it. She knew she shouldn't linger too long.

"I'm sorry, but-" Meg said but the man lifted a hand to silence her.

"I have other matters to attend to," he said the nurse. _Like disposing of an unearthly demon needing to be burned. His twitching remains moved within the bag that contained him_. But he knew the being. It was the same one whom begged him to save Alice, placing her in solitary, is friend.

_He remembered his friend going in after her, apologizing, trying to sooth her cries and watched as he bit the patient on her neck, then licked the wound. It seemed to disappear before his eyes._

_With a gasp from the orderly, the male looked up at him, narrowed his odd golden eyes and hissed his warning. _

_The orderly stepped back, listening to the girls shrieking cries, as the male kissed her lips and left. _

_He didn't want to understand. His mind was already polluted with images he'd never forget, so he just locked in the screaming girl, who seemed to be writhing in pain, in the room. _

_There was commotion in another room, warranting his attention and as he ran toward it, he felt rock hard arms grab him and pull him into another patient's room. The woman was mumbling what sounded like "hello demon", but overall ignored their presence._

_He would not forget his friend's eyes. They were full of fear. _

"_You need to check on her!" he demanded, bruising the orderly on his chest with his unworldly strength, "He's coming for her, but I've already changed her. She will be different when she comes out of it… be wary of her so she won't kill you. She shouldn't… she shouldn't kill you." The man shook his head as if he were trying to convince himself of that._

_There were screams just beyond the room as if something was searching for someone and his friend turned from the door, back to him._

"_Promise me. You'll take care of her, promise me you'll get her out of here?"_

_The orderly nodded and his friend pulled out his wallet filled with bills. "Give this to her. I tried to help her. Tried to save her from him… I am so sorry."_

_His friend released his shirt completely as if he heard something that the orderly didn't and steeled himself for an unseen attack._

_That is when the door splinter before them. There was a monster, a true demon shaped as a human with blonde hair, and blood red eyes. He was fuming hatred. The orderly watched as his head cocked back smelling the air with enlarged nostrils as he lowered his glare at them._

_The female patient rocked herself steadily mumbling her chilling greetings with acute anxiety, "Hello demon, hello demon, hello demon…"_

_His friend stood rigid against the demon._

"_Where is she?" The demon seethed. _

_The orderly watched his friend cock his head before he crouched at the demon, hissing._

"_You changed her." the demon snickered, "You changed her to keep me from her?" He laughed but couldn't hide his anger. The demon wanted to possess the little intuitive human, use her… take her. He would have to find someone else. He growled._

"_You brought a snack." The demon mused looking now at the orderly. He licked his lips as the patient stilled her movements. _

"_James, leave." His friend demanded but James laughed bitterly, sneering._

"_You want to eat the humans?" He laughed again, "or save them?" _

_James then lunged at the orderly's friend. They hit each other with a thunderous crash as the orderly hit the wall behind him, breaking though it, and landing onto the floor. The patient was still frozen in her fear so the orderly stammered to her, clutching her in his arms and ran. _

_It was some time later that he heard shrieking within the corridor, but he and the patient remained hidden. _

_It was even longer than that when the silent patient peed on him when they heard scratching on the door. But they didn't move._

_When it seemed silent and calm again, he moved out of their hiding place and looked around them. There was virtually no damage other than the human size hole in the wall. But there were other damage he soon learned. There were bodies. Two unfortunate patients lay in a pool of their own blood, his friend, their defender, laid decapitated in a pile of twitching rubble, lying in pieces._

_He would need to burn the remains, he guessed._

_And even worse was the patient lying in solitary, now motionless._

The orderly quickly left the nurse in the room alone.

Meg glanced behind her nervously but she couldn't see anything there. _It's in your head Meg_ she chided herself with a frown. She had had that feeling continually since her conversation with Victoria that morning but as the afternoon air twisted around her and the birds chirped their nightly songs she dismissed the feelings along with the ominous feeling of being watched.

Soon she looked out the window of the patient that had gone missing. It had befallen on her to go change the bedding to allow another patient, but Meg still wondered what had happened to her since she had left solitary.

It was as if she was an apparition to the place, now. One of many.

But Meg decided that the girl's life would not be in vain. She planned on seeking the doctor that day to issue a proper death certificate and even possibly a headstone. Otherwise it was entirely possible it would be swept under the rug and soon forgotten.

With a sigh she remembered what she should be doing. It was nearly dusk and she needed to start preparing for home. There was a clicking noise and Meg turned slightly as if she heard the door, feeling haunted or watched, but there didn't seem to be anyone.

With a heavy sigh and a shake of her head she moved out of the room. She rolled the sheets up to her chest.

"Good bye Alice," she whispered and swiftly left the room.

-

"Hey, Meg!" A tinny voice called behind her from down the hall. Meg turned, smiling when she saw Victoria. She had her hair down with her long red ringlet locks draping her shoulders like a shawl. She wore a thin silk forest green dress with cupped sleeves and flowed just below her knees. Her eyes seemed to have changed with the dress, darkening her blue eyes into a turquoise green. "See my new dress?" She twirled on the tips of her feet, the dress traveled behind her with her in ripples.

"What an orchid!" She gasped, cupping her mouth but knowing Victoria couldn't afford such a dress, "Another gift from Daddy?"

Victoria laughed with her head back and landed forward with a smirk. "What can I say? He said that he wants me all dolled up, and look at me… I'm the cat's meow!"

Meg placed the sheets into a bin and took a step back, watching her friend warily, and wondering idly about this James character. The missing patient's words still echoed in her mind.

Victoria was the type that enjoyed finer things and it was obvious the gifts were payment for something more. But she bit her lip and smiled.

"I am happy for you Vee. You seem very er, joyful?"

Victoria nodded with excitement. "I am. Are you still willing to meet up with us?"

"I would have to get past my parents."

Victoria nodded with understanding. "I've had good luck getting away. My mother is very easily distracted but my father, he's usually more… difficult. Though, I have learned how to get around him. Shall I have James pick you up?"

Med shook her head. "Leave me a note outside where you are. If I can get out, I'll meet you there."

Even as she spoke the words she knew she wouldn't be going with them. It was not the ideal situation for her and she didn't want to be a third wheel.

Victoria nodded pursing her lips, as if she could see the truth in Meg's face. "Well, I gotta go." She gave a quick wave and a chaste hug then turned to strut down the hall.

Meg watched her walking away as others stopped their movements to gawk at her. She really was striking. Meg couldn't blame them. But she wondered if this was the last time she was going to see her friend.

~*~

Alice spent her day in the woods surrounding the asylum. She had easily snuck in there and out multiple times. Once for a shower and to steal a nurse uniform, and again to get the things needed to sew the clothes the orderly had given her. He apparently had quite the sense of humor as he left her some of his wife's maternity clothes.

The last time she took some of the personal items from the nurses in the lockers. One such item was a pair of Violet Faux Tortoise Bakelite sunglasses which made her look like a bug, as they were large, odd, purple circular lenses, but they successfully concealed her eyes. Then Alice hastily took some contraband items such as scissors and needles, but she was nervous taking those items, her fear of being found with such items were oddly imbedded in her.

Soon the sun finally drifted over the horizon alleviating her stress of her maddening sparkling skin, and it occurred to her that she obviously wasn't going to be able to handle living in the wilderness for much longer. She needed somewhere to stay quickly. With a sigh, she sat down on her suitcase on the bank of the river, pulling her crisp white nurses uniform down over her knees, she knew it wasn't going to be easy surviving around the other people with her new quirky insanity and her new demonic qualities.

Eventually the stars made their appearance as the night animals scurried into their wilderness and her mind wandered easily, without any concern of time. She wasn't thirsty or even hungry. She felt as if she could sit for hours.

_This is really boring. _She frowned as flashes of pictures littered her mind.

_A street backlit with the hazy street lamps glowing ominously in the dark night… a painted sign with the red letters spelling CASTLE… a bald man, a room, C4...walking around the people._

Alice rubbed at her head, trying to see clearly. When the visions faded away and all was humanly clear she picked up her suitcase, adjusted her little nurse's hat, donned her newly clipped sunglasses, and went to the street to try to hitch a ride into town.

-

The smoke clogged the ceiling of the building so it was good that she didn't seem to need air yet, apparently neither did anyone else in there. Alice adjusted her sunglasses then her nurse's uniform and tightly clutched the luggage that the orderly had left for her in her left hand; which seemed to disintegrate in her palm. But as it was a hallucination so she easily dismissed the thought.

She took the proverbial deep breath to steady her nerves and walked further into the bar, avoiding everyone's glare and trying to avoid all of their 'stuff' popping into her mind. For the most part she got minimal glares and small gestures of judgment from the other women in the place, but the men watched her aptly and their anomalous behavior was off-putting. But she didn't care. She felt confident. If she could tackle alligators, these people would be easy prey.

She looked forward to see a man absently wiping the polished wood with a cloth that stood on the other side of the wooden bar and she walked right for him.

_ Soft curls lying on the pillow of a girl asleep… pretending to be asleep. Dark room… footsteps down the hall-_

"Can I help you with something?" he says but she's concentrating.

_A girl, late at night, trying to get the door unlocked, trying to sneak back in._

"Miss?" his voice was distant, she stuck a finger into the air to pause him.

_She's not alone. Someone's behind her. Someone grabbing her, pulling her away. A predator… watching her. Rain drowning out the screams… blood staining the darkened street._

Alice looks up to the man and smiles, "Do you think it looks like rain?"

The man looks perplexed and glares out the window for a moment. His movement sends warm promises of delicious blood. Her throat burns but she shakes the madness off.

"No, ma'am."

"Hmm. Maybe tomorrow?" She mused.

"Perhaps. Can I- get you something?"

Alice took in the man's scent and the scent of each person sitting, enjoying their company and their dinner. She never felt so out of control. She had this overwhelming pain in her chest, the same as she did with the orderly and her saliva pooled inside her mouth. She wants to sink her teeth in him and taste the warmth of his blood soothing the ache within her. But that was her mental illness and that was not well tolerated in society. She would have to suppress the urges to fit in and survive.

Alice smiles leaning in, the man instantly shies away from her, wary.

"Two things. I could use a job and a place to stay. When can I start and where's my key?"She laughs, but looks seriously at him.

She watched his veins pulse, the sight clutching her throat which was oddly burning again. She lifts a hand to her chest to sooth herself, shaking off the delusion, as her eyebrows lift with expectation. She raises her hand, demanding the key.

The man felt his heart thrashing in his chest; her sweet breath cleared his mind of thought temporarily and he was blinking wildly while shaking his head as if he was momentarily under a spell. His hand moves toward his pants, but stalls as he palms the key in his fist within his pocket.

"Uh, what was your name, miss?"

His warm breath hit her face with a force. She licked her lips with the smell of his thick warm blood imagining it coating her burning esophagus.

_Married, a daughter, a daughter in danger... Do not eat the deliciously warm, basted, yummy bartender! _Her brain screamed at her.

She swallowed, smiling sweetly. "Alice."

"Alice…?" he waits for her to answer but she heaves a sigh. His eyes seem to glaze over each time she talked. She snaps her fingers at him with impatience as he palms the key, protectively again. He watched her warily as she seemed to take it out of his hand, but he moment she touched him, his skin broke into goose bumps that he idly rubbed with his other hand.

_A name! I need a name!_ Inside her head she panicked, considering his question, wondering what her last name actually was. She couldn't remember having one. She smiled brightly, recovering from her moment of ambiguity and muses what would be an acceptable false name. She glanced around the room. It was dingy and dark with limited selection of name possibilities. She saw the glasses lined in rows on the shelf. She smirked.

"I apologize. Allow me to introduce myself," she extends her hand with a smile, "I am Alice Glass. I just arrived here and I was under the impression that you were expecting me." She giggled, laying out a southern belle in distress charm.

The man's mouth opened and shut several times as the small woman before him smiled expectantly. When it was obvious he wasn't going to be able to answer she said, "4 C?"

The man nodded, watching her. _Awkward_!

"You gonna to tell me where that is?" she smiled brightly.

"Oh. Oh! Just through that door. There's a hallway. The doors are labeled."

"You don't live here then?" her eyebrows lifted. _She saw him dead, hunched over in the corner of the hall… his cold lifeless body being found drained of blood… the funeral for him and then the evident absence of his daughter. Her disappearance and death… _which Alice thought she had already seen before._ Two funerals would be unfathomable for the wife and mother._

"No…. um, my family and I live down the road."

Now she was getting somewhere. "Ah. Can you do me a favor? Uh…."

"Samuel."

"Samuel. I'm new here and I could use someone to show me around. You have a daughter?"

Alice watched as the man nodded, swallowed his saliva, and led her up the stairs to her room.

~*~

Alice sat in her room. There was a chair, a table, and a bed but not much else. She didn't have use for the kitchen as her appetite had yet to return.

Happily, she danced around the room, excited that she didn't have to live outside, but it was short lived. She sat on the chair at the table and lifted the suitcase on the table. She recalled the small quarters of the hall with the man and it scared her. His close proximity and that of other people seemed to be a problem she would have to consider as she had this annoying urge to bite them and suck their blood.

_Blood._

_Gross_!

Alice frowned. She couldn't fathom killing someone. She could see their life stretched out in front of them, then without notice she would imagine how they would taste if she were to attack them, and that life would be gone.

_Dead. _

By her.

She wasn't a murderer, but as her visions turned more grotesque and violent, she worried that maybe she really was.

_Maybe that is why she was held away from everyone and everything. Maybe that's why she didn't have a name or a family, or even a previous life. Maybe she was a demon from Hell to prey on people_.

She felt like crying but no tears ever came.

"_Maybe demons can't cry_," she mused, putting her hand on her chest, but there was no longer the thump or noise of each pump.

"And _maybe demons don't have heartbeats?"_

Her body toppled over with tearless sobs. She didn't know if she could take being a demon.

Sometime later she sighed; she wouldn't think about it, too much, she decided. Her crying was nonproductive and wasted time. She pulled the suitcase up to sit atop the table, opened it, and pulled the dresses out of the case. She needed to make something out of these dresses before she went back down to find out when she'd start her job. She needed money. She needed clothes and shoes and…

That night, she found herself sucking her alligators dry.

_Demons didn't sleep, anyway._

~*~

James pulled forward to the curb in his newly acquired Model T, giving a coy smile to the red head that was waiting for him. She wore the green silk dress that he had stolen for her. It was an easy theft he remembered. His chest burning with want, remembering the small blonde and her family of whom he had tracked for a week:

_She carried the bag swinging in her hand, smiling at the world. She was unmindful to her surroundings and he blended easily in the background. With a small kiss on the cheek to an unknown man, she got into the back of a slick Model T. He wanted the car. He wanted the girl. He wanted to taste her sweet lavender scented blood flowing inside him as she writhed below him. But less importantly, he wanted the gown bunched into the bottom of her bag. It would look stunning on his new interest._

_He ran easily just beyond the car, following them._

_The car pulled up against a large gate, pausing for entrance when he decided to make his move. They wouldn't expect him. He licked his lips, coating them with his venom and gracefully walked up to the car._

"_Excuse me ma'am," He called out to the woman. _

_The woman turned to him with a smile that slowly warped her face into a frown of distaste as her eyes took him in with judgment. The action angered James instantly. He hated such disrespect. _

"_yes?" She said, pursing her lips. James could see he had caught the male's attentions. He was looking in the side mirror at him. James smirked. That man would be easily succumbed to him. He sucked in a thick amount of air, smelling the male's sweaty anxiety and her lavender perfumed skin. He was going to feast easily, he knew. _

_James eyes darkened, he was going to need to get these people sidetracked if he was going to successfully overtake them. He needed this to be a clean attack. _

"_This your house?" he said with feigned authority._

_The girl nodded warily, "my grandparents."_

_James smiled, leaning into the car. She would be easily seduced. His body twitched with need, smelling her heat, watching her veins pulse under her skin. She was smiling kindly, taking in his uniform when he moved closer._

"_I'd like to have a word with you, ma'am, inside. It pertains to news about your grandparents." James knew the grandparents lived there. He had collected the mail to see the occupants within the residence. He knew the staff rotations and the layout of the house, having been in there numerous times._

_The woman took in a quick breath as her eyes widened. She was so dense that she didn't even notice the lack of any law enforcement vehicle. _

"_Is something wrong?"_

"_Ma'am, I'd like to speak inside."_

"_Of course!" the woman gasped, fluttering her hands at her driver to move forward. James followed them thru the gate as the car parked in front of the home. _

"_Come in!" The woman gasped, launching herself out of the car. "They were in Paris last I heard, is all well?"_

_Her eyes lifted to him in earnest, widening as she took in his dark burgundy eyes in the twilight._

"_Let's go inside. Would you like to dismiss your driver?" he said with influence as if the driver was imposing. The woman looked back at him, then at James wondering if that was the best idea. _

_Now her self-preservation peaked, James sneered._

"_He'll be along in a moment. He'll just place the car."_

_James nodded. He needed to have the woman inside and take care of the male outside._

"_Go inside, Ma'am." He looked around as if there was imminent danger. She mirrored his gesture warily, but obeyed leaving James outside with the driver._

_James took this moment to seek out his prey. _

_He instantly ran toward the back of the house within a few seconds and saw the driver hunched over running a cloth over the metal frame of the car. As if he sensed the danger, the driver instantly stood and twisted in James direction. _

_James cocked a menacing smile before he launched himself on the driver, easily overcoming him as he twisted the neck with once quick jerk of the head. He heard the crack of the spine and then pierced the thin skin on his victim's neck. He pulled in the thick warm blood into his body as he shuddering with the thrill and felt the blood be absorbed the blood into his muscles._

_With a quick wipe of his mouth, James reached into the man's pockets, seeking the key for the car and pocketed them with a swift move toward the house and his next victim._

~*~

The excitement of the barman's words that she could waitress his club and would be shown around town by his daughter were short lived by the look of horror on Alice's face .

She had put on the homely, long sleeved dress from the orderly's wife. It was really quite frightening. Never before had she looked so evil.

"I cannot wear this." She paced, shaking her short bob of black hair, which must have been butchered while she was in the institution.

She had spent hours then, chopping the fabric up and realigning it into something presentable that she could wear shopping. Before long it became a sleeveless flapper dress with ruffles at the bottom. She took the excess fabric and made a shawl and gloves. Never would she purposefully match so much but in the case of shopping, she was willing to bear it.

She smirked at herself in the mirror before carefully lining her eyes in a dark thin line on her upper lid. She darkened her lips and placed on her new glasses.

She was going shopping.

Outside.

With another barman's daughter.

As the thrill ate at her, her nerves steeled to go outside during the day. Alice pulled on her gloves carefully, then a hat, and her scarf. Carefully, she posed in front of the mirror double checking that all of her skin was covered before she would walk out the door.

_The bob was at least stylish, _she mused_._

She twisted in her reflection, the get up was atrocious. It was amazing that the orderly could have been so insecure with a wife dressed in such a flop.

But she frowned at her appearance. It was a lot of blue, but if she was going to get this job, she really needed to be _puttin' on the Ritz_. The dress was adequate for one night, but any future reappearance may in fact, torture her. _I need some new glad rags, for certain_, she mused to herself.

She placed her hat on her head, which she stole from a woman sleeping on the bench outside. _She was for too shabby to need such a fancy hat_; she rationalized the theft, and then left some of the orderly's money inside the woman's jacket pocket.

The next morning, Alice guessed that the woman must have found the cash for she had a newly acquired bottle of hooch, was clearly ossified and had a fresh up-chuck scent to her.

Alice could only shake her head in condemnation at the woman. She had someone to meet to show her around the town.

* * *

**A/N: Obviously there is more than one story needing to be told. Meg is just in there to help it flow, as are the orderly, the barman, his daughter (which is not Meg) and the vampire who changes Alice, etc.**

**Victoria and James have some real issues. Wait till you get their um.. lemony scene... **

**The castle word refers to Del Castle, in Biloxi Miss. I tried as I night to find a speakeasy to play along with my dates necessary, but alas I could not. Here's the closest I could find historically listed in 1925: http://delcastlerestoration(dot)org/ which was unfortunately destroyed in Katrina.**

**You can find other 20's slang here: http://local(dot)aaca(dot)org/bntc/slang/slang(dot)htm**

**Dictionary for terms:**

* Puttin' on the Ritz: Doing something in style * Club/ speakeasy/ blind tiger/ joint etc: a secret place usually selling alcohol which was illegal during prohibition in the 1920's.* Hooch: slang for illegal alcohol. * ossified: liquored up

* upchuck: when a person vomits after drinking too much (obviously, but it's a 20's term so deal.)* Daddy: A young woman's boyfriend/ lover especially if he's rich.

**Reviews will give you a shorter wait for what James will do. Let me know what you think, if you want. And I will try to respond!**

**You can find me on FB… the link is on my profile.**


	10. Chapter 7: Jasper

**A/N:**

**I must say, again, Maria is deranged. This chapter may offend sensibilities but there are people in this world like Maria, and thank goodness, some like Jasper. But, you've been warned.**

**This chapter takes place right after Peter and Charlotte left and then Jasper's last day of being on Maria's claim. Peter and Charlotte left for two years and based on SM's history for her series, Peter and Charlotte had to come back to help Jasper get away. **

**Sorry it took me so long to get it out, but RL got in the way... ;}**

**Beta'd by my husband, he likes me to get Maria right.**

_**Looker:**_

_Look, you little looker, as you loft about the town, you lucky little looker, you got us plain folks down, but I know, about your soul, and I know, where lost souls go, and I watch, cause I'm a watcher, and us watchers, we never be, but do tell me, you healthy looker, just how wonderful you've been, cause I know, about your soul, and I know where lost souls go, our luck is gonna strike you down, our luck is gonna strike you down, so die, you healthy looker, and all us folks will gather round, but though your, so damn good lookin, we're gonna stick you in the ground, and you'll go, lord knows you'll go, to a place, where lost souls go, our luck is gonna strike you down, our luck is gonna strike you down, our luck is gonna strike you down, our luck is gonna strike you down._

_100 monkeys_

Maria was bathed and her thick spicy perfume drafted from the room and out the window with the evening breeze. The smell twisted Jasper's stomach and if he could vomit, he was sure the smell would be the culprit.

There was a slight humming tune that filled his ears as she moved around the room and Jasper could see from the window that she was wearing a satin, floor length red nightgown that enhanced her curves. She wore a thin gold necklace that was barely visible next to her skin, with a red teardrop ruby dangling around her neck which seemed to mimic a drop of blood at her breast.

Jasper had to smile at that, knowing full well that was the intention.

Maria combed her long hair with her fingers as she sat down at her vanity. He watched as she blooded her thick lips with the red lipstick, and rubbed them together before she blew a kiss at herself in the mirror.

She was ready to seduce Peter.

But he knew what he had to do and as his heavy boots hit the old wooden porch and the sound echoed through the night air, he knew there was no turning back. He was also aware of the eyes he felt eyes watching him from the different posts around Maria's home. The coven members knew something was up, whispering their suspicions, but he didn't care. He couldn't care about them or for what they thought because caring for them would have consequences and usually a death sentence. So he rejected them. Rejected their advances, their invitations to be sociable with them, and felt them when they were offended that he wasn't more gracious to them. It didn't take much for the hint to be accepted and he could go back to the feigned indifference. He was happy that the coven knew enough to warn others to steer away from him.

He was thankful of their abhorrence in him.

Jasper had only had Peter as a friend, as he knew better than the others what life was like for Jasper. But now he didn't even have that anymore.

Hours ago, Jasper watched the Peter and Charlotte leave, their eyes kind and pleading for him to come, but he knew better. If he were to go with them, Maria would send the entire coven after them, as she would be unable to withstand Peter's rejection of her, jealous of his connection to Charlotte and those two things would seal their fate. Maria would never stop hunting them.

So, to give them a chance to get away, he'd have to remain.

He lifted his hand and knocked lightly on the door, careful not to break it.

"Come in, _my_ Peter." Maria gasped. Jasper turned the knob to face her.

Jasper lifted his eyes to another sunrise. The darkness of night slowly replaced with the crisp new light of the morning. It had been a vicious night filled with Maria's anger and her hurtful words lingered in his mind as he wondered about where Peter and Charlotte would settle.

Jasper rubbed the bite wounds on his arm, all given from Maria who had bitten him relentlessly as he was forced to be with her, yet again. The act tortured his soul as he wondered how he could have ever loved such a woman.

But he remained there and the absence of his friend as his mate was a painful reminder of his loneliness in the coven.

Would he be sent after them? What if he didn't come back? What if he left? Would she really have gone after the rest of the coven? Did he actually think his absence would affect her? Would there be search parties sent to destroy them? Would the rest of the coven be safer without him, or would she exterminate every last one of them in her fury?

He knew the answer.

He would remain to get them out or away from her, to save the rest of the coven.

They were the only thing he had control over. He could make them leave.

"Jasper, _mi amor_," the sickening melody called through the morning sky. Jaspers body recoiled inside, but he stood statue rigid against the acknowledgment her presence.

"Charlotte's ranch hands seem to think I shouldn't be informed to my Peter's location."  
Jasper clenched his jaw.

"Perhaps they are in need of a reminder of my power," she mused.

Jasper wanted to scoff. Her _power_ was purely limited to being seductive. He knew the way she could have any power over Charlotte's coven was to bed them, and that was sure to be quite a daunting task, one she would be stupid to pursue.

"And what information would you receive by beddin' her ranch hands, I wonder. Perhaps you should concern yourself with your own coven's needs rather than your sexual needs."

"You dare speak to me this way?"

"So it seems." Jasper turned his head to look at Maria.

Her hair was blowing with the breeze under her hat; her eyes were a dark burgundy, with a thin amount of makeup. She wore the general cowgirl long skirts and thick cotton shirt that was buttoned up to the line of her cleavage. Her dusty boots just barely touched the hem of her skirt, and when she walked there was a hint of her dark sparkly skin.

"The coven fears you." She spat, her mouth a plump thin line, "They will protect me from you, Jasper, if they think I'm in harm!"

Jasper sighed, pondering her threat. He knew her words could be true. She had set him up long ago as her Henchman, someone to be feared. And he was fearsome; the bites all over him were warning enough to stay away.

He looked into her burgundy eyes, the eyes that he so often looked into, wishing he would see love there, but that was long ago; now he saw the hate she had for him, for others. She only felt for herself.

"They needn't worry about me. I will not harm you, Maria. You know that, just as I won't harm them."

She smirked, "Jasper, I've not forgotten that you allowed my Peter to leave with that _whore_."

Jasper raised his hat to see her more clearly. Her face was twisted with jealousy. Being denied was not something she would forgive, obviously. He cocked his brow and smiled. "You're jealousy of Charlotte is humorous, almost as funny as Peter rejecting you."

Her face balked at his words, her hands recoiled as she sat back on her haunches.

"You will go after them, Jasper."

"Don't ask for me to do your biddin', or any of the others for that matter. You want them, you go after them. I will not be sending the coven to search for those that choose to leave, Maria. I will protect them and their choices, even against you. You're reign of terror and vengeance is long over."

Maria laughed. It was wicked and tilling and grated on his soul. At this moment, he was glad she never acknowledged him as her mate, because then he would have never even considered the idea of leaving. Seeing Peter happy with Charlotte gave him hope for something more than what he had here with her.

"You make demands you cannot fulfill."

"I know you fear me, Maria, as you should."

"I fear no one!" Her eyes danced over him, watching.

"You fear me and fear the truth of my words. You're dismissed." He said softly with a smile, a brush off, blatant disrespect.

"You dismiss me! Now Jasper, your acts of defiance are laughable. But as I have enjoyed this banter, you will be reprimanded for your conduct."

"Any reprimands would be an added entertainment as my life with you has grown redundant."

"You seek excitement?"

Jasper could sense her lust building. He sighed, "I do not want you."

"I-"

"Does it not matter how I _loathe_ you?" he interrupted her, moving closer more threatening, she was unfazed.

"Love and loathing is such a fine line, is it not, _mi amor_? Your body needs mine. You will crave my touch. You will come to me again." He knew there was truth to her words. He knew he needed intimacy and for that he could use her body for release, if he wanted. But he also knew that he was anxious of the outside world, beyond the coven. Here he had control, influence, and a position. But worse, Maria was all he knew and he was worried that he couldn't do any better than someone like her, and that he was too scarred for acceptance. Even the coven members shied away from him cause of his scars.

She turned then, ending their banter, moving away, calling to one of the ranch hands that was currently cultivated the land.

"Keith, _mi amor,_ I have a mission for you." Jasper watched her face turn harshly toward his and angled a smirk and taunting brow, then back to Keith smiling shyly. "Two have deserted us. Can you set up a posse to seek them out? I do wish to inquire about the motivation of their departure as it pains me when my coven is unhappy. Please do this for me?"

Jasper watched the emotion play on the male vampire's face as he looked from Maria to Jasper and back again.

"You shall be rewarded aptly with your… _success_." She licked her lips as she played at the hem of her blouse and smiled coyly. Keith took in a sharp breath and Jasper knew Maria had him. Men were such habitual beings, easily played with and manipulated. Jasper knew he was once the same way.

Keith nodded, smiling as his mood elevated with excitement and lust as he quickly left them to round up some other males. Jasper felt confident, though, in Peter. They would not be easily found by the ill-equipped posse and if they were, he doubted that the posse would return.

1948

"Is this what you were looking for?" Maria held up the twitching head of a brand new newborn vampire by her hair. She looked like Perseus holding Medusa's head, a prize and she was gloating with an evil sneer on her face aimed straight at Jasper.

"You look pleased with yourself." He said with feigned disinterest.

"You think you can have the _sex_ with someone other than _me_?" her words were elevated, no doubt creating interest from the outside coven members.

He kept his face passive and voice even, "I haven't and you know it. Lying to justify your actions?"

"I saw you Jasper!" She yelled as her hair was flared around her and she shook the head at him. "I saw you with her!" Maria's body was tense, expectant and out of the corner of his eye Jasper could see the pyre of remains that was Leanne, on the side of her couch. It seemed as if Maria had invited the newborn into her home and then exterminated her, a pawn. He could bet the female hadn't seen it coming. But he just stared forward, stifling his frown, as he knew it was important to withhold his emotions.

He shook his head, reproaching her. "Maria, will you stop at nothin' to prove your insanity? It is laughable the extent you will go through to keep people in fear of me. What had she done Maria? Had she said hello? Had she passed a side glance in any direction to justify her extermination?"

"I know your interests Jasper! I saw your _need_ of her." Her dark eyes lingered down his body until they fell onto his groin and he watched her lip twitch with the slight lick of her tongue. Even in her fury she wanted to be fucked. He was revolted that she could hold the head of an innocent as she raked over his body with her own desire.

But he refused to acknowledge her words or the lustful gesture.

"Have you no compassion for me? You hurt me with your betrayal! You touched her, didn't you? Touched her with your dick?"

"What are you talkin' about?"

"I see your secretive looks, I see you grow under her view. I see the lust!"

"You're deranged."

Maria's face twisted with anger. Her body stilled and Jasper waited for the attack. He saw her body recoil away, crouching for the attack and in an instance the head was projected through the air, straight at his head. He caught it easily; infuriating her more as he gently laid the twitching head onto the chest of drawers.

He turned back, slowly, a methodical move as she panted breaths of air in and out of her lungs.

"This needs to stop, Maria."

"What are you talking about _mi amor_? I need your devotion, your love, and you refuse me." Her face was now as angelic as it could possibly be with a slight coy smile, but he could see through it to the monster within.

He picked up the head, shaking it, "This has got to stop," enunciating his words.

"She was nothing!" She screamed, her mood changing again. "A mere obstruction, she was deflecting your love for me!" She looked at him, calming herself and then giggled lightly, her eyes wild on him, "Consider her a sacrifice."

He just stared at her, evenly, knowing that she had lost it. But he wouldn't give her a reaction, knowing that she enjoyed the reactions she would get. Any reaction or emotion amplified her behavior, until she got what she wanted. He used to react, to give in to her, to constantly try to prove himself to her. But not anymore. He was selfish now with his emotions. She could have his hate, she could feel the fear he could give her. That much he'd allow.

He emitted a thick, hateful sensation. "I've done your commands, killed your defected sisters, trained your army for eighty five years, and have not asked for anythin' from you other than your heart and your love, but you are not capable of such gifts," he sighed, "And now you do this? You destroy an innocent female, whom you claim gave me her attentions? Are you that much of a cold-hearted jealous bitch?"

"She should know that you belong to me."

"She was an innocent newborn, Maria, and I have _never belonged_ to _you_." He sneered. "I had one wanted you as my mate, begged for your love, yet you only love yourself."

She licked her lips more visibly in a means of seduction and he recoiled, the whole scene around him was surreal. Jasper felt his body pulsing with anger, yet he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had affected him.

"Jasper-" She smiled coolly moving a step closer.

"No Maria. You cannot seduce me. I have not felt anythin' but hatred for you in years. To me, you're just a whore. I should have left with Peter and Charlotte two years ago."

"I am no whore!" She spat. Her arms lifted defensively into a crouch and he mirrored her actions, again welcoming the challenge.

"Now Maria," he scolded, smiling. "You'll bed anything that moves. But you don't get paid for your sex, do you? Perhaps whore is too kind a word then." He wanted to taunt her as he matched her steps with his own; it was a wicked dance with the devil. "Perhaps _harlot_ is more fittin'?" He mused.

"You defile me with words?" Maria lunged at him as he laughed at her actions, taunting her with his own.

"I'm sorry. I apologize that I've resorted to name callin' as I expect it's all I know ya to be. You're only power, perhaps, is that you're only use is as a succubus and I apologize for ever thinkin' more of ya."

She growled at him so he continued, "You're a shell of a woman… perhaps the only way you can feel, is when you're filled with a cock. Perhaps that is why you need to filled so often. If I had realized that's all you were, I'd have left a long time ago."

"This is a silly game you play with me now." But she was seething inside, barely able to contain her anger. It radiated off of her.

"Is it now?" He scoffed.

"You think you'll find someone to love you? Look at your body, filled of scars. They will fear you, Jasper. You do not deserve love."

"Now ya see? That's none of your concern." He smiled, yet her words had touched a nerve. "I feel sorry for you, Maria, I really do."

Maria hissed, "Sorry for me?" her hair flaring like a lion's man in motion, her claws recoiled into her hands in anger as she moved in a semi circle in their continual dance for the upper hand.

But Jasper just smiled. "Yes, you've killed or have had me kill those who have loved you. But you will never _feel_ love. You are an empty vat of a being, soulless, queen of the damned, and after I leave here, there will be no one to left to protect you from the others. They know your history. They'll come after you. They'll demand their freedom, even if it means to destroy you to get it. Your reign is over, Maria."

"You're a bastard!"

He stared at her calmly, shaking his head with disapproval as if he was reprimanding a child, "Now who's callin' names oh, treacherous one? The coven knows I don't matter to ya, they know they don't matter."

"I will send out units to destroy your beloved friends, Peter and his mate, again, Jasper." She smiled at her threat that for so long caused him to back down to her, but not today. He felt another wave of urgency as if fate was demanding his departure.

"No need, they are on their way here."

"I will kill them if they come."

"You may try, Maria, you may try… as they expect you will. They'll be ready. The whole coven will be ready. I'm leavin'."

Maria's eyes searched him, he thought he saw a flicker of fear momentarily, but she was so good at shielding her emotions, if she had a sincere emotion, that they were easily covered within her mask.

"I will not let you leave, Jasper."

He tipped his hat to her and smiled, still moving in their dance, "Now darlin', you ain't got no choice in the matter," He straightened his form for a moment, playing with a silver jewel case on her chest of drawers and smiled his devilish grin as her eyes narrowed on him. She was about to say something snide when there was a commotion vehicles and then talking outside, but neither Jasper nor Maria acknowledged the disturbance, both waiting for the other to attack at any moment.

"Darlin', I think you got company. Perhaps you should welcome them the way you usually do… by openin' your thighs."

Maria sneered, her lip twitching. She was not one to allow trespassers on her property but she was not one to back down, especially from Jasper.

"Go to them!" She thrashed her arm in the air, pointing her finger at the door.

He shook his head; the blond waves softly followed the gesture. "Not my guests. Not my claim. Not my home. Not my mate. Not my problem."

**A/N: **

**This will be the second to last chapter of Jasper/ Maria before I go on ahead and finished Alice pre Jazz chapters. I hope you all have enjoyed it thus far and I thank you for reading and your reviews.**

**The above lyrics are from 100 Monkeys, if you've heard of Jackson, I am sure you've heard of their band… The song I felt was fitting.**

**The last will be Jaspers altercation with Maria as he tries to leave… and of course, meeting Alice..**


	11. Chapter 4: Alice

**A/N: This chapter is rated Mature for the following reasons: language, violent content/scenes, and lemon zest. There is some parallel dialog borrowed from Stephenie Meyer's book, Twilight. **

**The situations written may seem offensive to sensibilities, and is written for peeps 18 or older. Please use discretion reading. **

**Thank you for your kind reviews; it really is a blessing to have such readers! **

**This is the longest chapter for Alice so far, I hope I've done ya proud.**

**Beta'ed by my husband, he rocks.**

**SM owns, I try to make what she wrote a historically factual fiction… which is harder that it looks, so don't steal it, it will mess with your destiny.**

Biloxi, Mississippi 1920

James paced around the house smelling the air for any other humans. He could sense their presences around the house, dutifully performing their mundane tasks. He licked his lips moving toward the front door.

He lifted his hand, sounding the bell and listened as footsteps slowly motioned toward the entrance. The door opened to the sight of a butler, and James enjoyed the fragrant, delicious heat that rolled off the human. James couldn't help but suck in the thick scent, his head tilting back and his eyes darkened with need. When he looked at the butler, the human's eyes were wide, searching for an escape and watching as James' wicked smile crept over his face.

"Afternoon, I was just speaking with the lady of the house regarding her grandparents."

The human seemed temporarily fazed by the man before him. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. James knew his breath would limit his reactions easily.

"Pardon, how shall I announce you, sir?"

"Officer James Hunter, of the Biloxi Police Department." He clenched his jaw needing to refrain from the urge to kill the human before him. He felt as if he was shaking uncontrollably as his hands fisted at his sides.

The human nodded and paled visibly sensing the predator but bound to duty, "Of course sir. One moment, please."

James was loosely motioned inside the home and he stepped in happily, looking around as it was soon to be his.

"Please make yourself comfortable whilst I announce you to Miss Daphne."

James nodded, but stood in the foyer at the base of the marbled stairs.

Minutes later a distraught Miss Daphne sashayed down the stairs straight to him. Her jaw was clenched, her eyes reddened with worry of the unsaid news.

"Officer Hunter?"

"Yes ma'am." He nodded, liking the fear in her voice. "As you know from our brief interlude outside, I have news regarding your grandparents." He paused dramatically as she nodded her understanding.

He sensed her increase of fear as it vibrated off of her. It was a delicious scent, calling to him. He looked over her, her body pert from her nerves; the silk dress she wore exposed her taut nipples underneath. He felt his body react to her as he stifled his growl.

"Yes, I remember. What is this news?" her light eyes danced over him warily, her fingers touching her lips apprehensively.

"It seems that your grandparents had an accident and their trip home is to be delayed."

The woman's light eyes narrowed on him, judging him. "What kind of accident?"

James did not enjoy this game of back and forth as he didn't have the necessary information on the grandparents to formulate an adequate lie and the scent of the humans was making him insane, his fists closed in on themselves as his body froze with tension. Venom pooled in his mouth.

The next thing he knew he had bared his teeth and lunged at her, enjoying the fear dance over her face as she hit the wall on the opposite side of the room with his strike.

Daphne slid down the wall, her body crumpling into a ball as she looked up at the predator in front of her with terror. He smirked; she was a brave one watching him as he stalked forward to where she landed.

"Please, don't." she begged but his smile widened as he licked his lips.

"Please! Don't!" he mimicked dramatically. "Stop!" He laughed, stalking her as her legs kicked at the floor raising her into a sitting position in the wall. Her eyes were wide, watching his movements.

James could hear the thick footsteps of the butler coming in her defense, having heard the commotion, he could hear Daphne's heart thrashing in her chest, her breaths coming out in little hot gasps. It was a delicious smell to him. It tempted him. She taunted him with her blood.

"I love your fear, Miss Daphne. Do you think you can get away? I'd like to see you try." He moved down to eyelevel with her face as he slowly touched her cheek with his cold fingers. "Mmm, so soft. Such a delicious pet."

Daphne sobbed, rejecting his touch with a slight turn of her head.

"Shall I make you my pet, Daphne?" James eyes danced over her with newfound attention. She rejected his comment, her face scowled and averted away from him.

"Miss Daphne?" The butler called and in an instant James was on him, an arm locked over the human's thick torso and was pulling his blood from the side of his neck.

The butler made a gurgling sound as Daphne sobbed quietly, stricken with fear and unknowing what was happening to her butler.

A few moments later, James dropped the carcass on to the marbled floor and turned back toward Daphne. His eyes were wild, blood red instead of the black that they were a moment ago. She watched as he licked the trickle of blood that trailed down from his lip. She instantly stiffened with his attention and began to whimper.

"Ah, sweetie, don't worry…" James cooed as he stalked toward the girl and moved down to her again. He watched her tears falling from her eyes as she took in a sharp breath as he touched her again with his fingertips on her cheek and breathed into her fearful face, "You're next."

Daphne felt temporarily dazed and shook her head, trying to clear it. It was a mistake, her head throbbed coursing pain throughout her entire body.

"If you think you can escape me, you're wrong." James said watching as Daphne judged the distance between the James and the door. She pierced her lips, narrowing her eyes onto him. She seemed to lose the fear, angry that he had hurt her, angry that her butler lay unconscious.

"If you were after me, you could have let him go. I would have dismissed him."

"I wouldn't want to ruin my fun. It happened once, the one and only time my prey escaped me." His eyes seemed distant with the memory of the tiny human with the delicious smelling blood that he hadn't been able to taste. She had been changed by the older vampire who took a liking to the human before James could get to her. He growled his anger, baring his teeth before glaring back down onto her.

Daphne controlled her fear of him, "And my grandparents?"

James smiled, wickedly, calmer. "Isn't better that your grandparents aren't involved in this?"

James watched as Daphne nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes."

"You don't sound angry that I tricked you."

Daphne's lips pursed. She had a sense of defiance about her, bravery. "I'm not."

James eyed her speculatively, "How odd, you really mean it."

"I'm glad they are safe."

James nodded. He was disappointed, now. He wanted her fear but she seemed overcome it, stealing herself for her death. She hadn't even seemed worried about the carcass off to the side. It was as if she welcomed her death. He took a step forward, inches away and lifted a lock of hair and sniffed at it delicately.

Daphne took in a harsh breath, offended.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be offensive. You have a very nice smell. Sugary, somehow…"

He gently patted the hair back into place and curled his cold hard fingertips on Daphne's throat for a moment, feeling her pumping veins. Then he reached up to gently stroke her cheek and Daphne shivered under the touch, his face curious. "No," he breathed, "I don't understand." He sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get on with it."

Daphne paled, the color of her face drained as she stiffened, knowing the pain was coming. He began to circle, watching her before he crouched into a defensive pose and lunged at her.

A scream rippled through the house as she tried to run. It was an inane attempt as she could feel the hard coldness of his body wrapping around her. Her body would be bruised from the touch, she thought; her beautiful peachy skin blackened from the brutality of his lies and touch.

She felt his cold breath on her wrist, licking the skin with a cool tongue and she whimpered, feeling his body harden behind her. She could feel his lust for her and the thought sickened her.

"I am a person of responsibility. I will not let you ruin me for my husband as I sense that is your intention."

James laughed. He knew his body was reacting to hers in a physical sense, but he as he took in a thick smell of the warm woman in his arms, he shook his head in confusion.

"I don't understand some vampire's attachments to humans, really. Her smell was delicious, one of the best… but yours is-" Daphne's breaths panted out of her chest in little bursts, tension rolling off of her as he sucked in another harsh breath. "But you're smell is mouthwatering."

Daphne let out a pained cry; he was torturing her mind as her body was clutched within his predator frame. James wondered if he could see her with him as his mate.

"Do you want to die, Miss Daphne?"

Daphne's eyes widened with his words as she felt a piercing pain on her wrist as if she was bitten, but then the wound started burning like flames licking up her arm and she could hear screaming throughout her house. It was her screams.

"Should I change you?" he breathed in her ear.

But she couldn't answer the pain was too much, she screamed wildly before she felt a slight pull of her body and then she was facing him, his eyes locked on hers watching her pain with a smile, but she didn't want him in the way he could take her.

He remembered why he was here, why he chose this house, chose this girl. Then he took in her sweet smell, hot with adrenaline.

"No, I think not," he said, his eyes darkening, "You smell too good to pass up."

There was a sharp pain of his kiss on her neck as she felt her blood being pulled from her body, her feet and hands turning cold with each thick pull. Her legs buckled from under her, but he held her to him, no longer feeling pain, but an overwhelming sense of peace. She was going to die this day. She would no longer be in pain. She would no longer be forced to marry Charles. She would no longer feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. She felt herself smile as she closed her eyes from the blurring colors before her. But to her the world was blackened existence nonetheless and she would finally be free of it.

"Oh, you got a lot of moxy!" She growled at the man's touch. His hand was still palmed over her bottom watching her with a drunken smile.

"You're brand spanken new, ain't cha darlin'?" He slurred, ignoring her annoyance. She smelled his intoxicated warm blood and looked at him, her eyes glazing over as she slowly moved away from his touch. _Wife worrying her wooden floors, sweeping the slight crumbs on the floor, hoping against hope the house will be clean enough to gain his praise… the husband driving home, coming in, drunk, angry, and violent the woman crying. _

She smiled coyly at the gray haired wife beater before her, cocking her brow playfully as she had watched others around her do. She was to be playful, serve the patrons the hooch and flirt at their advances. She knew some of the girls' skirts flew for the right amount, but that wasn't like her. She had never remembered being with a male and wasn't planning to start on these ones. Besides, she could clearly see their futures; none had lives that were ever entrenched with her.

"Why, yes I am," she smirked a little as she bent forward a bit and moved her fingers over the man's scruffy face.

The singer swooned her song as the accompanied piano caressed the room in sequence with her raspy voice and a cackling man intruded the quiet. Alice didn't need to turn at the disturbance to know who he was and the why he was laughing. She had heard the entire interaction, her brain processing the situation as she simultaneously judged his future intentions. He seemed harmless so far, yet another ossified sap. He had pulled a woman onto his lap and she gasped at the movement, fumbling out of his clutches. "Charmed, I'm sure." She smiled at the man still palming her.

His fingers moved into his coat pocket pulling out some bills as Alice strained to maintain her stare. His fingers held the bills, an offering for lust, she knew, but held back her frown.

"For me, love?" She sighed, breathing into his face as he seemed dazed, nodding. "All that hard work you do just to hand it on over? My goodness!" Her mouth smiled brightly and he mirrored her before his eyes lingered down to her chest. Alice grabbed the bills and tucked it into her platinum clutch with the red silk liner at her hip. It would be worth thousands someday, she could see that, but it was trendy as well as beautiful.

"Ally cat you needin' a tom cat?" He slurred and smiled.

"Ah! So clever," She moved away from him, "but what would your poor Mrs. Grundy say to you bringin' someone like me home?" She felt the saliva pool in her mouth as she watched the thick veins struggling to pump the blood throughout his body. She swallowed, taking another step back.

His eyes rolled as he mouthed something unintelligible about his wife. She felt the sudden rush of energy he already was working up his anger with her just for her being alive.

"What's that you say?" She said expectantly.

His head bobbed up, looking at her, "Hmm?"

"You're wife. You said she's a what? I didn't catch that."

The man huffed, slurred some words again, shooting the rest of his drink into to his mouth and raised his arms toward her, pulling her forward and onto his lap. She felt immediately angry, but she had to control herself.

"Hey doll, don't worry yourself bout Mrs. Grundy." He looked at her bosom, licking his lip as she felt his warm body become heated with his lust.

Alice pinched her lips before smiling. _He stumbled as he walked down the street and into the darkened night… misplaced his keys at the club… clutching his arm to his chest as he fell to the ground._

Alice turned, looking deeply into the man's eyes, "You're wife will miss you, dear boy. But she'd be better off without you, wouldn't she?"

The man huffed a reeking breath as Alice pinched up her nose at the smell. Quickly, as his head bobbed backward, her hand reached into his wallet removing the bills that remained in there and placed it back into his jacket. His eyes opened lazily to her and he smiled at her attention. Alice picked up the glass next to her, carefully not to break it with her newfound strength. She feigned laughter as she handed him the drink, urging him to drink it.

He took it willingly, knocking it back with his eyes closed as his head bobbed back up to her. He hadn't noticed the loss of his keys or even when she carefully and silently stowed away them in her clutch.

"Best get a wiggle on, Harvey's not gonna like you sloshin' around." Alice sighed. She lifted herself easily even with him trying to hold her to him and stepped away.

"Okay time for you to scram," She said, patting away his hands and looked up, "Harvey!" She yelled and a thick muscled man perked up at the call of his name. His eyes lowered onto the man that Alice was pointing to and made his way around the chairs and tables. At is nod Alice turned, looking for the next lush, her tiny red flapper dress sashaying with each movement.

She judged the room around her with a smile, disassociating as best she could with their lives as she so easily could became a beacon of change in each of them. She could sense their lust, their anger, and the aggressions. She could see their lives; some short lived, some overcoming future obstacle, some happy and sad, many with children and grandchildren. But every time she got overly involved their lives their lines would twist anew down different paths as different decisions were made, so she tried to make each interaction a positive one for the most part. But as she looked at this man before her, she knew he was at the end of his days. He had not always been a drunk; not always angry, but she knew his wife needed more. She could see his wife, mourning him but finding love anew with her children in tow and grandchildren huddled at her knees, touching her face with tiny hands over her soft wrinkled skin. This man would not always affect her.

It made Alice feel better about taking his keys. She would leave them for his wife to pick up, she thought and smiled. His wife would not be beat this night, not burdened with her husband lying dead in her home, not guilt ridden for the rest of her life. She would sleep tonight, without feeling his fists.

She smiled as she waved lightly to the man being escorted from the club. He stopped to take a last lustful look at her small frame before he excited the door. When the door closed behind him, he was easily forgotten as she turned to smile at the other patrons eager for her attentions.

Victoria turned from the store window after lightly touching her hair and mashing her colored lips together. She was anxious of her date with James and craved his attentions. She played with the pearls on her wrist, a gift from her father, as she looked up and down the street. She knew there were 28 pearls on the thread, having counted them several times during times of stress, this being one of them.

She just couldn't get Megs words out of her head. The mere idea that she was to die sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't want to die. She frowned, but swiftly shook off the worry as she looked up and down the street again. The night was approaching quickly and she'd soon enough be expected home.

Several passersby greeted her and she smiled at their gestures quickly averting any means of conversations with her look of distraction. It was a easy was to be rid of them as she would soon be remembered there, and gossiped about.

Finally, a car pulled up before her and she looked at the man sitting in the driver's seat. His hair laid on his shoulders, a defiance to the social norms of the other males and she liked that about him. She wanted to stand out and with a rebel such like him, she was sure to.

"How's my beautiful vamp?" He said as he cocked a smile at her. It didn't reach his dark eyes she noticed but she smiled at the gesture. Soon enough he'd be eating out of her hand.

"I see you got some wheels," she mused playfully with a smirk.

He found himself grinning at her, not often a human could gain such a response from him without him eliciting their fear. But he found himself liking the way she looked at him.

"I brought you a present," He said as her face lit up. It was an odd reaction for him to witness and he craved the next beam from her. "Get in," he demanded and watched as she quickly obliged without waiting for the door to be opened for her as custom.

Victoria sat smiling, hoping that the passersby would see her in such a car, she hoped he'd drive slowly.

"I thought you'd like to come to my place first," he looked at her as her face paled but she nodded slowly, "for you gift," he amended. "I thought you'd like to wear it tonight, not that there's anything wrong with what you're wearing."

She beamed again and smiled at him brightly. He licked his lips feeling his body react to her. He wondered if this is why vampires were partial to humans, perhaps they enjoyed their easy amusements.

"That would be lovely."

He nodded and they sat in comfortable silence while he drove. She had the window rolled down her hair slightly curling around her face as her head lifted to the incoming breeze. The air seemed to swirl her scent around the car. It was an earthy floral scent that he hadn't smelt before and he found himself pulling in deep breaths of air just to enjoy the aroma.

"You smell beautiful," he said as she looked at him curiously. She smiled at his words, her lip curling deliciously and he wondered what it would taste like, what her skin would taste like, what her blood would taste like.

"Would you let me… taste you, Victoria?" he said with a serious glare. He watched as her lip bobbed open and shut, trying to gage his words meaning. He grinned at her, a warning.

Victoria swallowed, nodded once as she looked forward. He could see the slight curve of her mouth again and he was curious to what she could be thinking.

"Would I get to… taste you… too?" She smirked and venom pooled in his mouth. He looked at her, his eyes visibly darkening with his lust as she turned her face towards him with her deviant smirk.

He growled and she giggled, slowly licking her lips. She didn't seem to notice he was driving without looking at the road, too enamored by his attentions. She watched him looking at her, seeing his eyes taking her in, watching each of her breaths as if he was counting them, listening to her heart thrashing in her chest from her excitement. He took a deep breath in, his eyes lingering over her breasts and down from her stomach to her thighs. He seemed to notice as she sat more rigidly, slightly opening her legs, a minute gesture, and sucked in his breath as if he was consuming her.

She wanted him to consume her. She licked her lips her breath accelerating as she felt her body react to him, smelling his sweet breath, intoxicated by him.

"I want you to, Victoria." He said and she felt her stomach clench with need. But then he turned his head back to the road and Victoria felt the break of visual conduct deeply, her whole body recoiled in

"You seem to like danger, Victoria."

"Are you dangerous?" She licked her lips, watching the profile of his face as he turned toward the car into a long narrow drive.

"Very." He swallowed the venom in his mouth, watching her smile widen. His need for blood was second to his sexual needs. He needed to feel her warmth encompass him, he wanted to fuck her and she seemed more than willing to oblige.

**A/N: So what do you think? It's a taste of Alice's new job and a bit about James and Victoria..**

**Definitions: Mrs. Grundy: an extremely tight laced person.**

**Reviews are like a long drive to Hell with James… Could be fun… **

**: }**


	12. Chapter 8: Jasper

**A/N: **

**So I am a liar. There will be another Jasper chapter as this one is too long to add his after Maria stuff. **

**I am apologizing yet again for the delay… (Bronchitis, RL, edited & then computer fail & re-edited) I have lots of excuses, none of which matter but I hope this was worth the wait as it was not easy one to write..**

**Steph is the lucky bitch who owns.. I own a Mr. Muse who thinks I'm beautiful even when I'm not. I shall keep him.**

**I got one review and they got a teaser of the next Alice chapter- which I hope to put out this weekend. **

**Co-written (fight scene) and edited by Mr. Muse who doesn't want credit in case you don't like it and who hates Maria the most and wants his pound of flesh… this chapter is for you babe, go kick her ass. **

* * *

When the world holds out its flag

The sun will fall across the plain

I will hold out my hands

And take the blame.

Well, when the weather falls to cold

The frost ravages the lanes

I will bow down my head

In shame

Who have you, who have you been lovin'?

Who have you, who have you been lovin'?

Cause if someone's gonna hurt

Then it's gonna be me

For the tears that taint your heart

You're so happy that you're free

But if you're no better now

Then you've ever been

You owe me

An apology

For when the dusk turns to dark

I'll have you banished from my mind

I just need a moments rest

To make it mine.

* * *

Chapter Eight: The altercation

The dust was in the air. It was a shield of sorts that curled with each moment of the various vampires that hid within it. It also served its purpose as a distraction to the ranch hands that lingered there. But there was no telling how many vampires stood rigid in the dust, only Jasper could feel the feelings of many on either side, with him in the middle.

Jasper moved fluidly extending his hand in greeting toward his friend, "Well, howdy there, Peter." He stopped when he reached them, clasping Peters hand rigidly as the dust settled around them. He knew his reasoning to be there and although grateful, he was unsure of the outcome such an altercation would ensue.

"It's been too long," Peter said clutching Jaspers hand, but his eyes hard and watching as Maria's men stepped forward rigidly. Charlotte stood close to Peter, defensively, but unafraid. Her sweet general manners pushed aside as her vampire instincts to fight and defend surfaced.

It wasn't long ago that Peter and Charlotte received a letter from their ranch from Jasper. She thought back to the day, seeing the lovely curves of his handwriting, first in polite greeting hopeful that they were well. Then he expressed his concern of Maria's resurfaced interest in Peter because of his rejection of Maria and Peter's evasion from the coven. Jasper expressed Maria's want to send out a posse to seize him, though Jasper had been able to dissuade her thus far. The letter went on to say in warning that Maria planned to attack Charlotte's ranch to gain her land and that Maria intended to have Jasper fight the coven, which of course, it would be devastating to those that remained there. He then stated that upon completion of the eradication of Charlotte's coven; Maria intended to rid herself of her coven, unwilling to let her creations leave peacefully, and rejecting Jasper's refusal. Jasper ended the letter with a plea for their quick and safe arrival.

But now Charlotte could stand face to face with the woman that wreaked havoc on so many lives, including Peter's and her friend, Jasper's. She could see Maria's beatific and seductive features so she could understand the appeal and lure of those unfortunate to go into the devils lair.

Peter had told her horror stories of nights guarding Maria's house, listening to her passions with one male after another all the while Jasper looked on. Then the male vampire would exit the home, stated from their release and face a vengeful Jasper. Each one was marked during the sex, and each one exterminated, except for Jasper.

But Charlotte couldn't stand to see such unnecessary destruction and death be carried out any longer, even if it meant ending Charlotte's second life and immortality.

She took a deep breath and smiled, "I got your letter, Jasper." Charlotte cooed sweetly. She eyed Maria on the porch as eyes from both of them narrowed on each other for a moment.

"I see you returned my Peter," Maria said haughtily. She palmed her bosom in feigned happiness as the others watched warily.

Charlotte formed her words carefully. She smiled sweetly, knowing the Maria loved a battle of the will. She would no doubt want to crush her and Charlotte would rise to the occasion. She had been well trained for such a moment and the venom in her mouth pooled at the thought of getting her claws on her.

"Maria, it's so good to see you. As your neighbor, I felt we were long overdue for a visit. Peter here has been most insistent in seein' our friend, Jasper." She smiled thoughtfully as she motioned to Jasper, stepping toward him confidently and wrapped her arms around his chest and pulling herself into a hug. Jasper's hands lifted, though he knew it was for show and wrapped his arms around her. Maria hissed as Charlotte smiled amiably and kissed him on his cheek knowing full well that was two things Jasper would never allow to occur with anyone, let alone Maria. But it was to set Maria off, and it seemed to be working. Charlotte felt Jaspers tension in the greeting, but he allowed it, showing the others his alliance to the guests and against Maria. Her coven now knew they would be fighting against Jasper.

There was an audible shuffle and murmurs of confusion. Never had any of the newborn vampires seen Jasper in such an embrace, not even with Maria. Never had they seen him defy Maria openly.

Jasper pulled away, seeing Charlottes saccharine face and gave her a breathtaking grin. "It is good to see you, darlin'," Jasper tipped his hat with his fingers nodding his greeting to Peter. "I am glad to see you so soon." He winked at Charlotte and saw the slight inclination of Peters head. Jasper didn't need to look, but he saw a number of vampires that had been gracious to him while he was on Charlotte's ranch and one from Maria's coven who was considered a deserter, Randall and his mate Mary who was the woman Jasper helped save. She was now a vampire. He greeted the two, happily.

"Yes, Jasper. We couldn't wait," Charlotte admitted in feigned coyness and stepped back.

Jasper nodded as he smirked, "I was just tellin' Maria here, that she was expectin' company. And I recalled that Maria wanted your mate for her own. I'm hopin' that won't hinder our little visit. Let's ignore that," He turned toward a seething Maria. "Cause darlin', I'm sure you've had enough lovers to suffice your need for Peter, right?"

She sneered as she clutched her claws to her side. His smile brightened.

"Or did you still want to bed him?"

Jasper could hear her growl, but was unmoved. He smiled wickedly, "I'd take that as she hadn't yet gotten over your rebuff, Peter."

Peter chuckled but clutched Charlotte's hand pulling her behind him. It was a warning as Charlotte was trigger happy to attack.

Maria's eyes watched the motion with a thin lip, and then her head turned to Jasper, her eyes growing colder."You invited them onto my land?" She bit out her eyes were black under the coal of her makeup. She looked like death.

"I thought that'd make you happy, darlin'. It's been two long years since we've seen our friends and you often say how you'd like to find them." He smiled widely as she sneered. "So, I did you the… favor."

"You're a traitor, Jasper! You stand betraying me with a smile?"

He tsked her with the flick of his tongue. "I suppose after all of the vampires you've set up to kill me, it may make one bitter. But, I am a forgivin' man. Let your coven go peacefully and I will not let the others harm you."

"My coven would not turn on me! They would not leave!"

"Oh Maria, one is marked already… for death." He motioned his hand and behind several members of Charlotte's coven and out came a thick male with sandy brown hair. Uriah was one of the oldest vampires in her coven at a little over a year.

Maria's face buckled with her anger. She had sent Uriah out to challenge Jasper last night, but he hadn't been seen since. She had assumed that Jasper was coy with the kill and hid it from the others in the coven. She remembered being pleased by his discretions however annoyed that he eluded yet another challenger. She had been confident in this male's ability, above all others.

She wanted Jasper dead.

The red lipstick was a blaring truth on his neck shining over his flesh in the sunlight. There were audible gasps on either side of the covens, each one remembering the pyres of vampires that all had the small strip of flesh marked with the rouge and torn from their bodies.

Systematically, they looked towards Maria seeing the blood red color of her lips glistening in the sun.

Jasper turned to Maria's coven, "Each one, just like Uriah, was sent by Maria to challenge me, to kill me. Obviously, they have all failed." He paused dramatically. "You are motivated by your fear of me. But you needn't fear me. You should fear, Maria. I will warn you that if you choose to stay you will be executed like the ones that you have bared witness to. Each one of you will be seduced and manipulated to kill for her and each one of you stands no chance against me."

This was more than Jasper had ever said to any of them. They all watched him with awe, captivated in his words. He seemed to have an aura of truth rippling with seething confidence. It was intoxicating their minds.

As if on cue, they all turned to the female who had changed them during their throws of passion, all of who remained loyal to her. Jasper knew he would have to take another step to prove to them his point. He started unbuttoning the plaid red shirt and the pulled it off of his shoulders to show the bite marks littering his diamond flesh. They turned back toward him and gasped and hissed as Jasper slowly turned in a circle with his arms wide. He looked sacrificial yet posed to strike.

As Jasper completed the circle he noticed Charlotte's pained face and Peter's rigid stance.

"Each one of these bites was from a vampire that Maria had used to challenge me, or a newborn she wanted exterminated, two of which were her own sisters." He pointed at the two bites as the covens exchanged apprehensive glances between Jasper and Maria. "Each of these bites are a remembrance, the only thing left of those vampire's existence. While these bites are from Maria herself when she tried to kill me but failed." He scoffed bitterly at the memory.

He pointed to the one just under his neck; it was just barely bigger than the crescent of a kiss.

"I was a Major in the confederate army, when I got this one. I was expecting to see the three women out in the night in distress. I offered my help, unknowing that they were in search of soldiers to facilitate Maria's army to fight for feeding territory. I was twenty when she changed me. For years I fought for her and killed the countless newborns after they lost their strength at a little over a year old, at her command. Hence Uriah's age and his neck marked in rouge. I bare these scars, but all were done in vain, for her vanity, selfishness, and excessive need for power. I had tried to save them, but she didn't want to just let them go, and I couldn't... I couldn't…" Jasper took a sharp intake of breath, calming himself. He stood rigid again as all eyes aptly watched him.

"All of you had lives as I did. All of your lives were taken by her, but we are no more or less important than she is, yet she considers us her property! It is not me you all should fear, it is her and when I leave today, you will no longer be safe."

Jasper motioned a hand, gesturing to all of the vampires from Charlotte's coven. "You may be wondering what my friends and their coven are here for," he sighed, "they are here as protection for their beloved Charlotte and Peter. They are here for me.

"I have learned that I may deserve love. I learned from Charlotte that it love is possible and some of you probably know and stay with her and Peter because you know she is much like her human self; just as you have witnessed Peter's integrity. Perhaps I have been here too long, hoping for love, yet it has been unrequited." He paused, considering his words. Then he stood rigidly. "Eighty-five years is a long time to wait for love. It is a human lifetime. I have come to realize that it I have been here too long and I cannot stay here any longer as all I have found here is unrequited love, and tortured souls who were killed on person's command. I know I won't find my mate here, but when I do," he turned sharply at Maria, "you will stay away from her or I will kill you. You will not see me coming. You will not seek me out. You will stay away from me, and I will allow you to live. But if you don't, I will hunt you down and torture you with memories of all those vampires that you sent to their deaths, the feelings of those innocents, as they realized they were betrayed by you, feelings so unbearable, so painful you will beg for death.

"I promise you. And make sure that you never form another army again. If you do, there will be hell to pay because in your case I am the devil. You're reign of terror is over."

Maria doubled over and burst with laughter.

"Oh Jasper, mi amor, that was quite a speech! You amuse me so!"

Jasper snarled, startling all that were within earshot, but Maria was unfazed. She stood defiantly against him, her legs spread apart and her hands on her hips. She stared him down like he was nothing more than a bug to her. Her lip twitched as she saw her coven starting their unrest. She knew she would have to dispel his words before they would turn on her. But she could feel that Jasper was manipulating their emotions already as there was a seething anger rolling over them. She could feel the righteousness he wanted them to feel. She spat the venom that pooled in her mouth.

"You say I tried to kill you? Ha! I could have killed you at my pleasure. Those bites are only bear witness to the how inadequate a fighter you are." She laughed wildly, "And you say I sent those to their death? They were inadequate obviously, or they would be here just as you are. You say what you will, Jasper as you are nothing to me. My coven will not stand for such treachery. "

Maria's coven fidgeted with her words, their eyes darting back and forth, confused on whom to follow, their commander or their creator.

Charlotte looked at Jasper just to see him clenching his fists and his legs ready to spring at the first chance that he got. She put a hand on his shoulder as Peter followed suit.

Charlotte took in a deep breath, her eyes judging Maria with contempt. She remembered why they were there… to save Jasper, to save the covens.

Charlotte touched her nose, it was a simple gesture and Maria's eyes moved around as Charlotte's coven took several steps forward to stand shoulder to shoulder flanking the sides of Charlotte.

As soon as they stilled Charlotte stared down Maria. She wanted the fight. She wanted the peace that each one present would expect to have, having been given the curse of immortality. But she wanted to know Maria's intentions. Would she let Jasper and the coven go peacefully?

"Maria, you are not a gracious host, I am afraid." Charlotte clicked her tongue enjoying the tension rolling off Jasper who was obviously conducting it from Maria. "When I got word that you wished to take on my coven I was most intrigued. It seems that my coven is bored and interested in the fight. So as you may have a coven of newborn vampires, I think them no match for mine." There was an audible intake of breath from several females from Maria's coven and gestures and movements of excited anticipation from the Charlotte's.

Several males in Maria's coven stepped forward.

"You threaten me?" Maria said as her laughter turned to an evil sneer.

"Well, Maria, as the sayin' goes, _every dog has his day_ and today is mine." Jasper said as he leaped to tackle Maria off the porch.

As quick as Jasper was, three of Maria's coven intercepted him while in mid-leap and drove him to the ground. That was all that was needed to ignite the powder keg of tension to a full out melee between the two covens. Jasper knew he could kill any of Maria's vampires one on one, but three were grappling him and biting him. But with the rage that he was feeling at that time, he didn't care, it was either be set free forever, or be killed. As he was being held down, he tried to keep an eye on Maria, but Maria seemed to disappear off the porch into the shadows of the house, just to appear behind Charlotte.

"NO!" Jasper screamed.

He could feel and see the movement around him as Charlotte's coven systematically picked off each newborn, subduing them or engaging into one on one fight.

Just then, another vampire that was circling him was ripped away by Peter and flung against the side of the house with a deafening thud. Jasper reached down and grabbed the head of the newborn that was trying to strip his thigh of flesh, and gave it a sharp twist, instantly snapping the neck and ripping off his head, rendering the newborn useless in the ensuing fight. As Peter grabbed for the third vampire from Jaspers back, he was tackled by another of Maria's coven.

Jasper rolled onto his back to gain an advantage over the newborn, by pinning him to the ground. Jasper then hit the newborn in his ribs with a cracking elbow and the newborn let out a cry of pain. Jasper then turned over to face the newborn and hit him with a series of fists and elbows until the newborn was no longer moving. It seemed as if the newborn had given up.

Jasper then sprung to his feet looking for Maria. He spun around frantically searching for her. In the distance, Jasper spotted Maria dragging Charlotte by her hair into the barn.

As he started to run towards the barn, another of Maria's coven stepped in front of Jasper. Jasper immediately kicked the vampire in the chest and sent him flying.

When Jasper reached the door to the barn and went inside, he found splinters of wood everywhere. The center walkway had broken pieces of stalls strung across the floor, making it almost impassable.

"MARIA!" Jasper screamed.

"Over here, mi amor," Maria's voice came from within the hay loft.

Jasper leaped to the hay loft without hitting a single rung of the ladder, just to see Maria pinned down by a pitchfork held by Charlotte.

Maria cried out to Jasper, "Thank you, mi amor. Thank you for coming to save me from Peter's slut. Strike her down while she is fixated on me."

Jasper smiled a crooked grin, locking eyes with Charlotte. Charlotte mirrored him as Maria struggled to free herself.

Jasper bent over her, looking at her straight in her face. "Maria, if anyone is a slut it would be you, darlin'," He took a deep breath, straightening himself, "Charlotte, put the pitchfork down, and walk away. She's not worth it." Jasper said.

Charlotte drew her eyes away from Maria to look at Jasper, and then relaxed her grip. Charlotte then turned to walk away and as she passed Jasper, they heard Maria get to her feet and whispered, "Whore."

Charlotte didn't flinch at the words. She just turned and threw the pitchfork at Maria. The tines stuck into Maria's groin, and she screamed out an ear piercing scream.

"That's for Jasper, you bitch!"

Jasper moved quickly but Maria was pulling the pitchfork from her stomach. Venom seeped from the wound to heal her, but she would always have the scars.

Charlotte moved quickly to stand up to Maria, her light hair bunched from where Maria had grabbed her. She lifted her finger to Maria's face in warning, "I will let you live, for now… and only because of Jasper. But Peter and I will be checking on you, Maria, and if, for any reason, I hear that you are planning any retaliation, I will come back here and finish what I started. Understand?"

But Maria only seethed in and out the air from her chest. Jasper allowed the feelings of despair, of pain and betrayal fill the barn as Maria buckled forward and Charlotte's eyes filled with pain.

In her silent, furious, agony Maria's head moved slightly. The feelings ceased as quickly as they came and Charlotte turned and left.

"I meant what I said, Maria." He moved forward, grabbing up her arm and she allowed him to lead her out.

Jasper walked into the mayhem around the ranch. There were several incapacitated vampires looking defeated and a pyre with flames licking at the poor souls who died this day unnecessarily. Jasper frowned knowing all of this could have been unavoidable. He swallowed the venom in his throat along with the agony. There were still vampires fighting and it pained him to lose any more.

"Stop!" Jasper demanded. He could have whispered the command and it would have been just as audible.

Peter let one of the newborns go, as a female leaped upon his back to bite him. Jasper grasped the female by the ankle and flung her like a rag doll.

"I said stop!" He yelled.

Charlotte then told Jasper, "Calmly, then they will listen."

"Stop the fighting", Jasper calmly said. "Maria has withdrawn. You are all free to leave." One by one the individuals ceased fighting with one another. All then turned to face Jasper and Charlotte and Maria who was off to the side.

Jasper sensed the change in the air, feeling Maria's defiance. He turned just as she ran at him; he strong-armed her before she could touch him and slammed her down onto the porch. His body lay over hers in a what would have been an intimate way but his forearm held down her face to the wood.

"Don't fucking move, Maria," He said in her ear, uncaring to the shock and awe of the vampires around them. She struggled beneath him.

He bit her on her neck, listening to her scream.

"I said don't move." He gave her the harsh feelings that he had previously warned her about. Her face twisted as he heard the sobs of a female newborn off to the side and the recoiling of many of the others, away from him.

"I could kill you. I could have killed you so many times, Maria, so many times." Jasper took in a harsh breath, "I am done with you. Don't you get that? Don't you understand how I loathe you? Why would you want me to stay?"

Maria hissed.

Jasper bounded up and off of her, backing away slowly.

When he reached Charlotte and Peter, their hands hit his shoulders as Jasper's head fell. He turned, hearing Maria's pants as she got up. Charlotte turned and hissed and her claws rose defensively.

Jasper shook his head sending out a calming sensation. Charlotte instantly calmed.

Jasper stopped to turn and look at Maria in her eyes, "I will kill you easily, Maria, so don't fucking try it," then he motioned a hard stare at the rest of the coven, "The rest of you leave now… or else." He gave out a murderous pulse before they watched many turn and run in any direction, some single, and some in pairs.

The sun dipped down below the horizon, casting fire orange light and blood red shadows over their crystallized skin, all that remained was Charlotte's coven and Maria.

Jasper felt that he could finally breathe.

He turned away without another word, bowing down his head in exhaustion. But he didn't allow Maria to feel that. He kept all emotions away from her. He vaguely felt Charlotte's arm hook his, but then stopped them, turning toward Maria who was now sitting on her porch, alone.

"We'll be watchin' ya, hon." Charlotte said sweetly.

And then they turned and left.

* * *

A/N:

The lyrics above were Bobby Long's: Who have you been lovin' (You know, Rob's BFF? Who wrote/co-wrote Let Me Sign & Never Think in twilight soundtrack. I knew ya'all knew that.) I copied them by ear so forgive any violations to the lyrics.. ;}

I don't do this often but I wanted to say thanks to those that were kind enough to drop me a note… (Waves hand like Miss America…) Shoutouts: et1141412: as always, I look forward to your opinions the most as I know you love you some Jasper & hate Maria, hee hee! You make me LOL. MagentaMasen: much love sister! (Ev1 should read her story, Angel of War, link below, good stuff.) And a big thanks to my readers/ nice reviewers: Millster86, Jaspersonlygrl, prettyinblack8, jilly611, Karkoolka, Bloodypassion, I'mwiththevampires08 (who is awesome! BTW) and my friends in RL: CaitCullen and Sarah. Thank you for the lurkers who silently read and hopefully like this, and those who have added this and/ or me as their faves. (Hopping off my soap box, tripping and falling on my face. fml)

I see Jasper and Alice's meeting in about 3 chapters... after this one.

As always, you can always find me on FB: Hismystic Muse.

Also, I will have Alice 5 out fast but then I can't promise the next update. I have figurines to make for the Twi-convention centerpiece completion. It's a $250 prize and I want it. REAL BAD. I'll let ya all know if I win.. You can see my figurines on my Face book profile, or my RL group page.

But while you wait..check these stories out:

Breath-of-twilight's The Naughty School Girl: http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5657397/1/The_Naughty_School_Girl

And this one pulls at heartstrings: http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5746842/13/The_Unaccompanied_Soul

MagentaMasen's Angel of War: http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5827929/1/Angel_of_war

Reviews are like throwing pitchforks at Maria's girly parts...


	13. Chapter 5: Alice

**A/N: This Chapter is rated M for a reason. It has violence and sexual content that may be offensive to sensibilities. Read at your own digression.**

**With that said it's a long one.. and as ever I hope that you like it. **

**Um.. Ignore any mistakes and I'd appreciate it. **

**I don't own, I create. And I will be delayed with the next chapter as I have the Twilight Convention on June 18****th**** -20****th**** and I am working on centerpiece. And then Jury duty and Eclipse on June 30****th****. **

James

James opened the front door of Daphne's house for Victoria.

He felt confident as she walked inside that she didn't seem to recognize the home and that was an added bonus for him as he planned for them to be there through her transition, maybe longer.

He had already dismissed the staff, alleviating them from their duties for at least a month, or until the grandparents returned home and had disposed of the bodies of Daphne and the butler in the water nearby, knowing their rotting flesh would be a welcome treat to the gators. He also disposed of any traces of the previous owners, careful to disregard anyone that Victoria may be familiar with.

But now he watched as Victoria took in the home with an appraising eye as she mused about the room. She picked up random pieces that cluttered the shelves and tables and carefully replaced them back into their places. That pleased him, but he idly wondered if she was one who was partial to things or was she just interested in their values. He could easily get her things if that is what she wanted and he'd sell items to pocket the money, if needed someday, but as he had already cracked the safe and was holding a decent stash of bills, that would be later.

He took in the warm sweet scent of her and surmised that he would basically do anything needed that she could want for… for now.

James watched as she clicked her heel with each step. She had a scent of arousal about her that he could pick up and he wondered about that.

He tried to think about something to say to her, to call her on her scent but decided there was plenty of time to find out the why's of her arousal. Victoria glanced backward at him for a moment before turning back around. He observed her fingers lightly play with the pearls on her small wrists.

He moved closer to her, "Your bracelet, was it a gift?"

Victoria turned toward his voice, nodding with a sad smile, "it was a gift from my father."

He walked in human speed up to her, carefully as to not scare her. "It makes you sad."

She sighed with a feigned smile, "No. It doesn't make me _sad_. It's a purity thing… bribery to stay untouched for my husband."

"You're married?" He asked because she was confusing. He cocked his head to the side, seeing her form. She had luscious curves that she moved with ease, cat like.

She laughed bitterly. "I am not one for marriage, James, never wanted someone to tie me down. I want to see the world, be young… be free…" She murmured, "While I still am." Any normal human wouldn't have heard it, but it was said so clearly for his heightened senses.

James smiled at her, but knowing she evaded the implications of his question. "So, are you pure?" He knew that her virginity could send him into a bloodlust with the break of her hymen. It was an experience he wanted, one few vampires got to experience.

She cocked a wicked glare at him. "Well Daddy, you're blunt aren't you?"

"You enjoy being evasive, don't you?"

Victoria smirked, "Touché." Her heels clicked on the marble floors as she stood beneath a painting of a child within a field of flowers.

She sighed, exasperated, "I haven't a husband James and I wear my bracelet. It's not hard to put together."

"Yet I can sense your arousal _for me_. Are you were willing to give yourself to someone _like me_?" he licked his lips at the thought of tasting her, feeling his arms wrapped around her as he put himself inside her. He imagined the warmth, the taste as he sucked the thickly scented blood down his throat. He balled his fists, recoiling slightly from her, as he held his breath trying to contain the urge for blood.

"You're different."

"How's that?" he growled not knowing if she was onto him being a vampire or just her general warped ideas.

She smiled, "I don't give my secrets away so easily." She turned from the painting, her eyes taking in his form, and quirked a questioning brow, "I am guessing the same for you?"

He took a deep breath in, feeling it burn him. "I have… secrets." He smiled widely, threateningly, at her and she returned the gesture for a moment, smiling back.

"As do I."

He took a step toward her, but stopped himself. "Tell me one." He demanded, swallowing his venom in his mouth.

"No."

"Tell me!"

Victoria smiled wickedly, unmoved by his demands. She was used to people trying to intimidate her and he was yet another on a long list. She knew the worst he could do is hit her and she'd been hit before, many times. She glared at him, allowing him to see the fire in her eyes.

He couldn't help respond to her, his growl rippling through his chest.

She was a brave human.

Sexy.

Beautiful.

Cunning.

Brave.

Human.

Victoria took in the lethalness that lay in wait behind this man before her. It was intoxicating and she wanted to play with the danger he promised.

Soon.

"I thought you said you were taking me out? And you said you got me a present."

His mind considered her words, remembering each statement. He had to admit she was very good at deterrence. He gathered his emotions quickly. He needed her to trust him more than he needed to know her secrets or her mere human body. Or her blood. For now.

"I did say that. Where are my manners?" He tugged at his clothes, before he offered her his arm. She walked with him, ready to receive her gift.

Alice

The club was hopping. The air buzzed with the noises of the saxophone and piano dueling with the notes of the Charleston. She hopped to the music, liking how her fringe would swing with each movement, and her short bobbed hair would rebound flirtatiously. She was careful, though; to avoid the lust filled gazes of the ossified patrons and their frisky hands as each night she laughed at their jokes, flirted with their minds and pocketed their money. She was good at her job.

Tonight was no different.

She clutched the glass lightly, careful not to break this one and upset the barkeep. She did that sometimes when she wasn't thinking. She could easily hurt these people, she realized, as they seemed more delicate than her, now. The thought was instantly distressing and more easily dismissed.

"Got your whiskey, Georgie!" she cooed as a thin man with reddish hair smiled a lazily. Alice could see that he was clearly drunk, trying to forget the girl that had broken his heart. The third girl that broke his heart, the third one he had tried to secure as his wife. But Alice knew he was after the wrong type as he was here looking for fun and exciting and fun and exciting didn't want to mind kids or mind a home, or be a wife. But alas, he still tried.

"I can make someone like you happy," he gurgled. Alice looked away so he couldn't see the roll of her eyes as she doubted he could make her happy. She had yet to find anyone that she fancied.

She gave a high pitch giggle, "Of course you can Georgie! But I am not the right girl for you!" She gave him a serious look into his glossy eyes, "The girl you want is not gonna be here."

His eyes narrowed on her, his mouth hitched in anger at yet another rejection.

Alice touched his face lightly, looking at him seriously. "She is out there waiting for you, too. But you are in here drunk, trying to procure a wife? What kind of marriage would that be; waiting for her to come home, worrying about her affections... Wouldn't you rather have a _Betsy_ who happily makes a home and smiles brightly when you walk in the door? Isn't that what you want?" She watched him nod, "Then that is what you will have… But she is not _here_, Georgie."

His eye brows knitted together, "A Betsy?"

"Yes, Betsy. Keep your ears open for the name, Georgie… you'll make each other very happy."

Georgie nodded and smiled. His eyes had a twinkle that lacked before and when he looked up at Alice his face twisted with confusion taking her words in. She saw the change instantly.

"You're drunk. You best be going home." Alice moved away from him quickly, lifting the man upward, waving at the barkeep for assistance. She knew better that to give her prophecies to sober people. She liked to think she was somehow helping them, especially ones like Georgie, like a subconscious... or maybe a guardian angel.

James

James watched as Victoria swirled in the Daphne's dress. Her face was scrunched as if she had seen the dress before and he suddenly worried that she was putting things together.

"You ready?" He asked to distract her.

She looked up and nodded, her face softening with a warm peach blush under her fair skin. She looked vibrant and young in green, but as she saw his fierce look her face curved into a smile.

"What do you think? Am I ready?"

He growled at her words and gave her a wicked smile. He moved closer to her enjoying her gasp with his movement. His fingers lightly touched her hair lightly.

"I think you are more than ready." His body throbbed as he took in her scent, the want to touch her, taste her, take her was overwhelming him, making his control waver. He held his breath, feeling himself calm. "Let's go."

The crisp air of the night hit Victoria's face, biting at her skin and she shivered. The air wasn't cold on James and he was at a loss on what to do to warm her, knowing his body was just as cool, if not colder.

"You're cold."

She looked at his face and tilted her head at his bewilderment, her eyes sparkling as she smirked. "It's a chilly night, Daddy. I won't be so cold with some hooch in me."

James nodded at her words. He was defiantly taking her to the some juice joint.

In the car there was a comfortable silence. Victoria held her pins in her hair as the slowly made their way to the speakeasy. She had a nervous excitement as if she was finally living, finally awakened.

"You look beautiful in the dusk, Victoria. Eternal."

She smiled, turning her head and taking in his long blond hair and his dark burgundy eyes. He was a flawless looking man who made her feel beautiful just by being with her. He was the type of man, looks and wealth aside; her parents would be appalled for her to be with. That somehow made him more appealing.

"Thank you James. But that's an odd word to use… _eternal_." Her lips pursed as if she was in thought.

"I think it is fitting considering your present company." James smiled knowing he had just given her more information than necessary and she had caught it easily, musing over the words.

"We're here." James pulled onto a darkened street in front of a small restaurant.

"This is it?" She couldn't hide her disappointment.

James opened her door and watched her slowly maneuver herself out of the car. They walked quickly in the night as he came up to a nondescript door and knocked out an odd sequence of taps. The door swung open to darkness and he pulled her into it, hearing her heart beat quickening.

Alice

Alice felt as if the air in the club turned colder. She looked around seeing that no one had noticed the inflection. Her mind flashed with sudden visions, the pain lashing through her head with a sudden ferocity that she had never felt.

_Head cocked back, a deep breath in _

_Burgundy eyes searching for her_

_Held tilt to the side_

_Evil smile_

_She runs_

_He chases_

_Red hair_

_Nurse_

_Cackling laughter_

"_You will die"_

_Body thrusting into another_

_Bite_

_Blood_

_Screaming_

_Screaming_

_Awakening_

_Red eyes_

She moved towards the bar, easily, careful not to run. She knew running would cause the chase. She laughed wildly with a group as the laughed, palming a shoulder of one of the males and she shimmied around their chairs. Her clutch swayed on her wrist as she circled her temples with her fingers. "I'm not feeling well," she mumbled, vaguely seeing the concern of her coworkers. She fumbled past them as she moved toward the back entrance of the club and the front entrance of her home.

She refused to look back; she was almost there, holding her breath with each quickened step.

She turned once she was in the comfort of the darkness, and saw the blonde male. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't remember what. She looked at the woman clutched to his side and her mind thrashed with new visions.

_Screams_

_Violence_

_Pain_

_Her lifeless body drained of blood_

_Laughter_

_Awakening_

_Sparkling skin_

_Red eyes_

_Hunting_

_Death_

Alice took a deep breath in. The visions seemed too familiar, and she knew couldn't help her. The girl was too much of a risk. Alice shook her head, opening her door. In a day it wouldn't matter that she couldn't save her. She would already be dead.

James

James took in a thick warm breath smelling the humans, their blood, their booze, the smoke. But there was something else, something faintly familiar, though the scent wasn't too strong. He knew there was another vampire in the midst and he could have tracked it and confronted it but with Victoria on his arm he refrained. If the creature ran he may not be able to resist, but as there didn't seem any real threat he surpassed that need. He wanted to be with Victoria, get her liquored up so he could take her. So he could change her.

A hunt of another vampire was somehow a distraction at the moment.

James lifted the clear liquid that a flapper set down and raised it to Victoria's lips. He watched the soft pink flesh crescent the glass and he imagined those lips on his cock, sucking him in as he watched.

"Drink up, doll."

Alice

Alice paced. The pain that was so unrelenting downstairs but now it seemed to ease. She knew that she couldn't stay there anymore. She had felt the predator and thought that maybe he had sensed her. She saw him coming after her, ripping her apart. It was terrifying. She couldn't have that. She had to get together all of her things, all of her money, and get out of there… tonight.

James

Victoria's arms wrapped around James' shoulders as she cackled loudly, breaking the silence of the brisk night air. It would be morning in mere hours and he wanted to take the human before he changed her into a vampire.

He could feel her heightened heartbeat pumping her thin blood throughout her body. He was not amused. He liked his blood thick to coat the burn in his chest as he felt the blood being absorbed in his muscles.

The venom pulled in his mouth as he pulled her up to him. Her eyes rolled back as her head bobbed with the movement.

"I think… I had too much… of the giggle water, James." Victoria snickered. "Another hair of the dog and I'd be done for!"

"I think it's time to go, Victoria." He sneered at the annoying human. Her warm arms wrapped around his torso, clinging herself to him. He wasn't sure what he thought about that as the human seemed to lack any self preservation.

Maybe that was in his favor, James mused.

By the time they had reached the car, her feet were dragging over the bricks in the sidewalk.

By the time they returned to Daphne's house, she was asleep.

Alice

Alice's senses were heightened as she jumped out of the second story. She landed on her feet after the fall would have severely injured an average person, But Alice didn't think anything about it anymore. She kind of liked the changes.

But as the cold air tickled the hair around her face in greeting, she clutched the alligator skin suitcase tightly in her left hand. She wasn't going to waste another moment here and as soon as she thought it, she was running the opposite way of the odd smell. Her eyes took in the environment, taking time to make sure she wasn't being followed as her mind portrayed the pictures that would lead her to her place. All she knew was there was a small city within vast farms called St. Louis. She saw the thick river, and smiled, she liked rivers. They were always a place of peace for her, watching the water calmed her mind.

"I was tired of rotten smell of the alligators anyway," Alice said to herself, "and getting all gross and _wet _and _swampy_."

She started running throughout the night. She needed to get there by sunrise.

James

The human slept with a slight snore, but it was tolerable.

She would not sleep long.

After today, she will not sleep ever.

He imagined her as his mate, running and tracking their prey with her wicked glare and evil smirk. She would be a magnificent vampire.

He saw her mouth open with her sweet breath curl out with a moan. He had never watched a human sleep before and could see her eyes moving under her lids. He liked that every time he blew his breath blew over her face; she seemed to take a deeper breath in. He enjoyed her reaction to him… he wanted her addicted to him, in need of him, dreaming of him.

He took in a breath and blew it over her face, again. She smiled breathing in and pulled her arms and legs into herself, squeezing her cleavage together as he slowly circled the flesh with his finger, careful not to wake her.

"You are a beautiful human, Victoria."

He saw the curl of her lip as she dreamt, and liked how she smiled while she dreamed, murmuring small incomprehensible words. But he didn't like how she seemed to be sleeping off the hooch. He would not have another night with her so careless, so he carefully made part of his plan of seduction.

Alice

The birds chirped happily before they were disturbed by an intruder huddled in the shady bushes. The birds sat warily with their eyes locked below, with one move from below they would abandon their nests and their chicks to save themselves.

Selfish little creatures.

Alice didn't know why animals seemed to avoid her now. But she couldn't recall ever being around an animal that she didn't want to eat. That was probably why. They probably weren't willing to be sacrifices to the odd human that wanted to consume them.

Alice snorted her laugh. But the ruffling through the leaves and squawking warning notified her of her mistake.

"I wasn't gonna eat you anyway, you stupid birds!" She pierced her mouth in frustration. "I could if I wanted to… But I'm not hungry... Maybe later." She snickered to herself, rolling her fingers on either temple. She needed to see what was next for her here in St. Boring, but she got nothing. So she was stuck in the shade from the rising sun, knowing this was not an optimal place to be.

Victoria

Victoria awoke to a blurry vision of two beady dark eyes watching her intently. She couldn't help but glare as she took in her surroundings. She was in a room, lying in an unfamiliar bed. That was a first for her. She felt the need to touch herself intimately to see if she was violated, but remembering the present company and her odd location she thought better of it.

"You woke up." The voice said. She squinted, raising her hand to her eyes rubbing them. Her head throbbed, rejecting all movement.

"I suppose I did," she said smartly, though her throat felt the burn from the alcohol from the night before..

"I am normally an impatient person. I prefer not to wait."

Victoria licked her dry lips with a dry tongue, not sure what to make of his comment, so she ignored it, looking at James more closely, she saw the dark circles around his black eyes. "Did you sleep, James?"

He gave her a wide smile as if he had a secret that she wasn't privy to. "You can sleep when you're dead."

Victoria was confused by his odd comment. He was bizarre and she vaguely wondered why she hadn't noticed that before, but the thought passed quickly as there were other more disconcerting things. Like the need to go to the bathroom, the need to check her virtue and the realization that morning brought, "Why didn't you take me home? My parents are gonna kill me."

James stifled the wicked laugh threatening to escape. He didn't want her scared of him before he had his way with her; he craved the warmth of her body under his, his cock embedded within her warm sex. "I didn't want to take you… home."

Victoria's mouth popped open as her eyes grew wide. James laughed knowing that she was quick enough to catch the inflection in his voice.

He felt her anxiety and sobered, gesturing toward a closed door within the room. "Freshen up and get dressed. I'd like to show you around the grounds."

Victoria nodded, calming and watched James leave the room before she squealed. Never had she thought herself fortunate to land such a fellow. James was a man that she could see a life with.

At least she hoped so.

Alice

Alice couldn't stand the boredom any longer but she knew risking the attention of her sparkling skin wouldn't be well received. She already missed the comfort of her small apartment in Biloxi. She missed spending the day reading the newspapers and trying on her clothes and talking on the telephone with the girls she worked with. But she wondered if they would search for her. She hoped that they would.

But that life was passed and no matter if there were concerns of her whereabouts, she knew they would be short lived. The flapper types never seemed to linger long, all would eventually scatter in the wind just like she did.

But as her eyes watched the orb's tedious dissention she grew more impatient. It was hindering her life.

"Go down already!" She screamed at the sun, digging her feet in the dirt as she picked up the boulder's crumbled remains that she had picked apart with her fingernails and threw them at the illuminated gassy mass offending her.

The sun seemed to frown over the horizon as it bid goodnight reluctantly, stretching long fingers of light over the lush fields as if to grasp the long blades of grass and harvests. But it was in vain when touching Alice's skin, she only sparkled the crisp topaz. She glared her warning at the sun, smiling as it submitted and let go its grasp and allowed the twilight to filter in with purples and pinks.

Alice pulled the suitcase down, opening it carefully to not destroy the delicate clasps, and pulled out the nurse's uniform that she had used before to acquire her last home. She knew that people's obvious dislike of her was thwarted somewhat with the ideal wholesomeness and trusts a nurse provided.

She quickly disrobed under the darkness of the thick trees and then straightened herself with poise, stepping into the dusk running past the fields and ranches.

James

The aromas of breakfast filtered the air as Victoria, poised and primped, glided over the marbled stairs. The house seemed oddly familiar but that was instantly dismissed with the clench of hunger in her stomach.

"I made you some eggs." He said sharply and she smiled, sitting at the table. She ran her fingers over the thickly spiraled wood.

"The house is beautiful, James." Her eyes looked up to him, flirtatiously, as she kept her body still. He glanced at her dismissively before pulling out the juice from the Frigidaire.

"I am humbled that you made me breakfast, though I would think that be something for your servants to do?"

He ignored her quests for information, noting the delicate sky blue silk she wore. It made her long crimson hair look fiery as her eyes mirrored the dress.

He walked with human speed, placing the food in front of her.

"Thank you," she mouthed, pulling the loaded fork into her mouth.

He nodded.

"I should really get home after this. I am sure my parents are worried." Victoria tapped the tines of the fork on the plate in to a rhythm of a song from the night before. James' jaw clenched reflexively as he moved toward her. He ceased the tapping with his palm overlapping hers.

Goose bumps coated Victoria's arm as she felt a chill go down her spine. James removed his hand hastily.

"Then what?" he said, calmly.

"You're in an odd mood." Victoria frowned, she wondered what he could be thinking, but she saw a sudden look of fear in his eyes. She gathered it was about her departure. She knew he didn't take her home as any other male would do. James was different than any other men she had met. He was socially inept and tempered. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, watching his eyes sparkle. "I'm not trying to get away James, but I do have a job and a family."

"What if I am not willing to let you go, Victoria?" He challenged.

Victoria smiled, knowing now she had power over him. He was basically confiding feelings for her already. Normally such actions from a man would cause her to retreat, but she found herself pulsing with excitement.

"Then I won't go-"

James lifted from his chair abruptly interrupting her. He knew she was so far different then other humans. She seemed to like to taunt him. He needed to get away before he attacked her. Her smell and quickening heart beat tortured him.

"I'll meet you in the parlor," he sneered thrashing through the room, leaving her sitting alone with cold eggs.

Alice

The night air kissed her face in greeting and she couldn't help but smile. She had seen an area pulsing with people laughing as they chatted in similar clothes that they wore in Biloxi. She would fit in there… for now. But she knew it would be short lived. Never would she linger long in any given place, again. She had learned that.

The blond woman in a grey looked Alice up and down. She pursed her lips with annoyance as she set down the glass she was holding and moved slowly toward Alice. But Alice wasn't intimidated as the woman would probably expect.

"You're new?"

"Yep. Just got here."

The blond nodded her understanding. "You're a bit young to be a nurse."

Alice smiled sweetly. "Looks are deceiving."

The blond cocked a smile. "Yes. Yes they are. I'm Blair."

Alice smiled, "Alice. Nice to meet you."

Alice got a clear picture of Blair. She could see the woman was fiercely protective of the people in her life, which was a blessing and a curse. People had trouble dealing with her readily given opinions and Alice could see people filter through the woman's life over and over with such a future of agony.

Alice stiffened as her eyes glazed seeing the boy child was born in her future. She would be a lovely mother, doting and thoughtful but overly protective. She saw a husband that adored her, eventually. It was a lovely life that Alice could envy. She wanted someone like that in her life.

"Come, I know what it's like to be new. Let me introduce you to the others."

Alice beamed, nodding, as the woman watched Alice face. She took a step back warily but Alice ignored the motion. She had come to realize that people had an odd aversion to her. But some were brave enough to befriend her.

Alice sat at the table, carefully watched by others close to her age. She let them judge her while she remained quiet. She ignored the annoying streams of futures that they had. She knew better than to vocalize her visions to strangers.

"This is Alice. She's new, so be nice to her."

The faces around her softened slightly as they took her in. They saw the nurse's uniform and smile in greeting before they turned back to their conversations. She happily listened, seeing that her new friend would be detrimental at helping her fit into a place in St. Louis for the time being…

James

James had chosen to go upstairs and refresh himself. He also, unknowing to her, prepared the upstairs bedroom with clean sheets and took another moment to make sure all previous items of the previous inhabitants were removed. He felt confident that he was successful as he moved swiftly down the stairs.

He found Victoria in the parlor after breakfast, just as he asked. She stood staring at an oil painting of pointed dog motioning the woods. She had her arms crossed in a protective stance as he moved cautiously forward.

"I know you don't live here." She said bravely.

His eyes widened. "How do you figure not?"

Victoria turned, judged him warily, then with an exasperated breath she pointed around the room, "The paintings, the Waterford Crystal, the Oriental rugs, the antiquities; this place reeks of old money.

"Not to mention your long hair and your clothes are not tailored to fit… They would never tolerate your… _ambivalent unconventionality_."

"You're very apt."

Victoria brow arched as her lips curled devilishly, "Not to mention this is Daphne Hart, the most eligible debutant here in all of Biloxi, grandparent's residence."

"How do you figure?"

"Well other than that it has been in that family for past hundred years, but it was only familiar at first, with the personal effects removed... and I went to her coming out party." She heard his growl but ignored it, picking up the thickly etched vase. "I don't suppose she's home."

"No," He sneered, had he lost his touch, had he been too preoccupied in his attentions to Victoria that he would choose a victim so well received in society? He watched Victoria place the vase on the table and then move toward the adjoining room, watching him watch her follow her as she mused over the china cabinet and touched the wallpapered walls delicately. He couldn't figure this human out. He knew that she knew she was in a peer's home, but did not questioning the whereabouts or safety of her friend.

"No." She repeated with a frown. "So, I wouldn't suppose you know where she is?"

"No."

Victoria nodded.

He growled, angry that his ruse didn't work on her. "Yet you still stand here."

"Yet I still stand here," she mused, expressionless.

"You're not afraid of me."

She turned her head, frowning, "Should I be?"

His growl rumbled from his chest, his body rigid with tension as his venom coursed through him. "Don't be afraid of me, Victoria. Then I won't have to kill you." He took in several harsh breaths, "I want to be inside you."

Victoria moved slowly to show him she didn't fear him as her mind flashed warnings at her. But she didn't understand the control he had over her, she just knew that needed this, needed him and would follow him anywhere. "You want… to be… inside me." She said softly but with intonation to hide her fear.

"Yes, I do." He moved forward touching his cool hand with her warm one. He pulled her to his mouth, thinking he could try to kiss the human, see what it was like, and see what the older vampire kept away from him.

He touched her face lightly, trying not to break her. He looked at her bright blue eyes. He watched as they danced over his face with anticipation.

_I'll miss how blue her eyes are_, he thought, as she smiled her plump limps were wet and waiting but he had never kissed a human as a vampire.

His lips touched her and her hand reached to his shoulders, pulling him in as her hands pulled harshly at his long blonde hair, it wasn't hard for him though, as her body formed around his and he could feel her warmth through his pants. He licked her lips, coating them with venom, claiming them as his. He bit the soft flesh as she pulled back away from him in shock. She licked at the blood as it dripped down her chin.

He watched her lick the red blood from her lips her eyes wild and he lunged at her needing to taste the delicious liquid.

"Victoria," he growled and she smiled. He licked her chin swallowing her blood as it attacked his sensed of control, he sucked at her lip then, pulling the tiny drops of liquid from the lip as she breathed hot breaths of hot air over his face, then she moaned in his mouth. He sealed the wound on her lip and stepped away from her, her body called to his, an answer to his every need and with a sudden movement he had grabbed her body, holding her to him as he carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom.

He threw her on the bed, ripping the shirt off of his body as if it was mere paper.

"James?" Her eyes were wide with shock. He stood naked, over her as he watched her eyes taking him in.

"Victoria." He said gently.

Her eyes looked at the rippled flesh down his body, his hip showing a tattoo that she longed to touch. But she couldn't because he was glaring at her darkly; his arms at his side as he pulled in air roughly, bathing her in his sweet breath. Her eyes glazed over with a slight smile and he moved, stalking her as she stilled, mesmerized prey unknowing the predator before her.

She laid on the bed, as he moved over her. Her breath panted in short excited breaths that cause his control to waver. He touched her face with his hand moving her head to the side, relieving him of the hot breath and giving him access to her throat. He watched to beautiful blue vein pulse wildly for him and he couldn't help to but lick the soft flesh below him. Her skin gave her the beautiful warning of a predator marked with shivers.

"You're so cold." She said with concern.

"Yes."

"Why?" She pulled away to look him in the eyes.

James exhaled an unnecessary breath. He knew that this was the moment she was either going to reject him and he would have to kill her or accept him and he would change her. He debated on his words.

"Do you want to know why I am cold?"

"Hence the reason I asked." She said haughtily.

James growled, turned on by her wit, her fearlessness from within his clutches.

"Before I tell you what I am… you will have to make a choice."

"Alright. What choice."

"To be changed," he looked deeply into her eyes "or to die."

"Changed into what?" She murmured as the memory of the patient at the sanatorium thrashed through her mind, the taunting, tilling words "_you're gonna die_" echoed. "She said I was gonna die," Victoria whispered, her voice cracked. She suddenly didn't care what she would be turned into if it meant not dying.

James' head tilted to the side in question but decided he really didn't care what she was referring to; he licked his lips wanting to bite her.

He held his breath, to relieve the tension, "Make your choice." He growled.

Victoria glared at him, "Tell me why you're so cold… first." She countered.

"I'm a vampire. That's why I am cold. Now choose. I don't know how much longer I can resist your blood and I want to be inside you when I bite."

Victoria's pulse heightened as she felt her body flush. She could barely fathom the idea being of a vampire; especially with one poised and ready to strike any moment.

"I just don't want to die."

James smiled widely as he quickly grasped the front of her dress and easily tore the delicate fabric. Her chest was heaving as she lay backward on the bed, submitting to him and even with the acute fear she still wanted him. She knew she would never leave here alive, anyway. She knew he wouldn't allow it. She licked her lips and swallowed, her deep breaths dried her throat.

James moved away, taking in the pink of her skin, seeing the lacy brazier and girdle. He tore those easily as they were blocking him from the warmth of her skin.

"Touch me," he growled at her, pushing small hard kisses on her skin. Victoria's hands rose the small distance and touched his marble hard skin.

He felt the warmth instantly as she rubbed the rigid muscles and his body shuddered with the touch. He could smell the fear being overridden by her need of him, her arousal wetting her entrance, teasing him.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." She smiled, "take me, James. Change me." She didn't know what she was really asking for, but at the moment it didn't matter. She knew he could kill her, but he didn't, even as she suspected that he killed Daphne. He chose her. He pursued her. He could have killed her many times, even as she slept, but he didn't. She knew he wanted _her_ more than his want to kill her. She willed her hands to touch him, as he touched her skin with hard cold fingers. Her body wanted to revolt, wanted to recoil from the icy touch, but she willed herself to still, to take it. She knew he couldn't help the cold.

He palmed her breast as he felt her fumble with the button on his pants. He enjoyed the warmth that she emitted and when she whimpered he realized he was kneading her breast roughly causing the skin below his palm to darken with pinks and purples.

"I'm sorry," he leaned and whispered in her ear. He felt her head nodding as she pulled him to her, trying to move them. But they didn't budge as his hard erection was hitched the movement. He moved away from her and off the bed, pulling down his pants and stood over her. She lay over a mess of shredded clothes looking at him with large blue eyes. He watched her smile as she swallowed, her fingers curling to coax him forward. She didn't need to tell him twice, he jumped over her, propped above her as her eyes watched his erection twitch.

"Touch me," she urged and his hands were on her more softly this time, he moved closer to her face taking in her reaction. She smiled with a nod as his lips touched hers.

Victoria moaned loudly as his mouth moved over hers. It was hard and unforgiving but she didn't care, his sweet breath made it so much easier to relax.

James took Victoria's moan to continue, he was sure that sex with a human would be like sex with a female vampire only more delicate. He touched her with his fingers seeing her skin react to his touch as her body shuddered beneath him.

"I like how you respond to me." He said as he kissed the throbbing vein on her flushed neck. "I like how your body moves beneath me." She closed her eyes moaning as his hard cold fingers coaxed the entrance of her body.

She froze at his touch as he moved the fingers in between the flesh of her sex. He knew she was holding her breath as he stopped hearing the steady pants and now only heard the throb of her heart.

"Relax, vixen." He breathed in her face.

Victoria squirmed under him; her eyes alit with angry daze. He smiled, "I don't mean it insultingly." He kissed her lips hard and he moved his warmed fingers from her wetness. He held himself over her, needing to take her, but he stopped to watch her face. Any other he may just consider just penetrating but for some reason she held interest.

"Quit torturing me and do it already." She bit out, her eyes were narrowed as he laughed and pushed his cock inside her. He held himself imbedded inside her, bathing in her warmth.

Her body jumped, back arched as the pain of the tearing of her innocence rippled throughout her body. She kicked her legs as he held himself still inside her letting her relax. He saw the tear fall from her eyes before she closed them both.

"You're crying." He tried to hold the frustration from his voice. He never had a virgin female before and he began to suspect that he had gone about it wrong. "I did something wrong."

Her mouth pinched together as she lifted her hands back to his torso, giving him soft nudge to continue. He moved inside her slowly as she hissed and he stopped.

"I can stop."

"Keep going, the pain is almost gone, now." She looked up at him with her dark blue eyes as pulled him to her. He moved inside, wary of the human and of her words, but he continued slowly pulling himself out and gliding himself inside her. He knew every fragrance of her by smell as he ran his nose over her skin, feeling her clenching around him.

She moaned again as he felt fingers touching his long hair framing his face as he thrusted more quickly. She knotted her fingers in the stands and pulled hard. "Victoria," he warned as she smiled.

"James," she moaned as her climax heightened. She held his head to her chest and she felt the pain of his hands grasping and bruising her flesh.

"Need to bite!" He growled as she clutched him tighter, feeling the shuddering of her body as it relaxed onto the bed.

His thick cold breath huffed over her face as her weakened fingers remained imbedded in his hair. "Need to bite you!" He yelled as she felt her body start to clench and stiffen. She could feeling the intensity of his impalement quicken as she held his hair tighter as it was the only thing she could hold on to easily.

There was a sharp pain on her breast as she cried out. The burning of her flesh and the orgasm hit her hard as she felt the pull of blood from her body escape hers and be consumed by him. She screamed with the pain as his blood red eyes watched her, still drinking, still pumping. She felt her body grow cold and her fear heighten.

"Change me," she begged and he moved away from her bite, licking the wound closed. She looked deeply into his eyes, holding him with his hair. "Change. Me." She growled as he bit her neck. She felt the fire on her skin where he bit her. He licked the skin as he did her breast but she still felt the fire under her skin. She felt him impaling her cease all the sudden as his body fell over hers. She couldn't think. She could only scream as she tried to free her hands from his hair to try to get the fire off her skin.

She felt a repetitive sharpness and then the flame and lick over her body. He was biting her. He was biting her! She tried fight, to get away to save herself, but it was too late. She felt cool breath over her skin as she clawed at him with the one hand that she had freed. But it was useless. He blew in her face again as she felt a mind numbing haze.

"Take the pain." He growled as her tears fell over the sides of her cheeks, her movements slowed and then stopped as her heartbeat quickened, the venom taking hold of her.

"That's the venom. It's changing you." He listened to her sobs as her body stilled as the venom coursed throughout her body and her eyes closed.

One lonely tear fell and he moved over her and licked it.

**A/N sorry to end it here… It's like, 7.6 k words... and sorry for the whiplash between the characters. I hope you liked it.**

**Happy June and please review if you have an opinion. I really like reading them and you might get a little Jazz/ Alice for your time. Find me on twitter: hismyticmuse and on Facebook**


	14. Chapter 9: Jasper

**A/N: I am just glad you're still with me and I thank you for adding this little story to your alerts, favorites, ect. I am very happy. I love hearing what you think too, so please take a moment to leave a review.. **

***I am trying to find the end of this fic. I may do outtakes for it here and there to fill in the holes... If you have me on alert, you'll get them.*This chapter is different, I have turned this to JPOV here and there instead of 3****rd**** person.*Interviewed my grandma for some of this chapter. She lived in Philadelphia during the 1940's era...**

***Thanks to my friend Jen for beta-ing **

* * *

Philadelphia, PA 1948

Jasper's POV:

The rain came down with unbounded fury, each sliver only visible by the dim, buzzing streetlights. It pounded on everything without prejudice and I was not immune. I had not anticipated such weather and did what the humans around me did, sought out shelter.

This was not an ideal situation.

I was starving, so to speak, but feeding on the humans had proven to be a painful, necessary evil for my existence. I would not seduce them; I would not deceive them when I sought them out. I would simply stalk them for a few moments and then bite without them even seeing me- with their eyes always looking away. I couldn't bear to see their eyes as I murdered them. Eyes had a tendency to penetrate your mind long after they were dead and gone.

Looking at them wasn't an option.

But they felt my bite. I snickered bitterly as it is not hard to miss razor sharp teeth sinking into your soft flesh and sucking the sweet, delicious blood. I could feel their eyes widen in shock, then as the shock grew to an angry fear, their bodies would thrash in an effort of self-preservation. But it was a futile attempt with my superior strength and venom. They succumbed with little effort, really, and with each pull of their hot lifeblood, they become a motionless body. The only thing left as their soul descends is their grief, their pain and the knowledge that they were dying, never to see their loved ones, never to see their dreams come to fruition. All of this envelopes me. Their pain is crippling for me, of course.

A curse.

Such emotions from the humans have always sickened me, caused me to retain the humanity that was lost in so many others of my kind. It has warped my mind (so) that I cannot stay away from them. My sick need for them makes me a wrath of night, a reaper who will steal their souls to just to feed off them.

But I had not realized the extent of fate that I held, that I truly inflicted, it was unfathomable the amount of pain one must endure and I would forever be burdened by it.

_I wonder what Maria could be doing? _

My mind often reverts back to her. _Does she miss me? Has she replaced me? Has she learned to love? _All are torturous questions unanswered.

So many times I have considered going back to her, back to what I know. But I know I can never go back. I had severed my bonds irreversibly and I know it isn't in her nature to forgive such grievances. Not that she didn't have things needing forgiving. Of course, she would never see it that way. She was ever the narcissist and I couldn't imagine what she would do to elicit my culpability.

I laughed bitterly at the idea, the sight of _her_ seeking _my _absolution. She would rather be ripped to shreds and burned, no doubt.

_I must not think of her. _

With a hard sigh I glared at the diner in the distance. I could see a couple scurrying down the street and stop before the diner door. The female paused under the roof as she waited for the male to hold open the door for her. He shook off their umbrella and smiled as he entered, touching the woman softly on her lower back to lead her in. Such an easy, trivial life that humans have.

With a shake of my head, the rain flicked off the ends of my hair and stuck to my face. My hand pulled it back as I pulled the collar of my leather jacket up to cover my neck. It is a very human thing to do in this weather and I need to appear human if I am to go into a room full of them and not massacre them.

I will try not to massacre them.

I will try very hard not to massacre them.

I cannot promise not to massacre them.

I smirked. I should be walking into the diner to massacre all of them.

I am a vampire after all.

And I am starving.

I smiled at my joke, hoping it was, in fact, a joke. Pulling the long strands behind my ears, feeling the drops fall down my neck, I tried to relax. I knew my eyes must be black which is not ideal, but better for fitting in, as red eyes tend to stand out. Jogging at human speed to the small diner, I know I will find the prey that will suffice to feed me again. _Possibly a sad and lonely soul who is hoping for death so I won't feel so much pain_… Well, that is until I thirst again.

My thoughts went back to the couple who entered the diner. They remind me of the last day I spent with Peter and Charlotte.

_The sun peeked in through the red curtains which, for the most part, blocked out the sun and trapped us within the small home for another hour and a half. _

_I had come home after a night on the prowl for blood which I had had to take it from a human that was less than willing to give it. That put me in a sour mood once I returned and when I did get there, hearing the soft moans of love from the apartment, I knew the day was going to be torture. I would have been better off running into the forest and spending the day in the darkened shadows of the pines in central Pennsylvania. I liked it there. But I didn't go, knowing Charlotte would worry._

_So with a foul mood and a visible scowl, I opened the door as the sun peeked over the trees, searching out those who were different and expose them. _

_I had sensed the emotions like a brick wall to the face. It was hard to miss. Peter and Charlotte were both well-fed and feeling frisky. I hoped my mood would trickle to them and fizzle out their lust, but I knew sometimes my mood was counterproductive, creating feelings for rough, angry sex or maybe a passionate, needful intimacy._

_Today seemed like the latter._

_I had done everything in my power to shield myself from their intimacy. I had never experienced the magnitude of their emotions and it was almost unbearable for me to keep myself from exposing our race to the humans to alleviate the feelings derived from their desires. The emotions curled around my face like long, thin fingers, seductively caressing the skin as the moans became more auditory. _

_I swallowed harshly, trying to think of something, anything other than the love being expressed in the other room, other than the view in my mind of each gesture, each feeling. I knew they were trying to be quiet for me. They needn't bother, because I felt everything through the emotional sting that linked me to them and I could hear them anyway. They knew how it affected me but they couldn't hold back the need to be together. And I couldn't deny them that, either. I would endure it._

_One more time. _I promised myself.

_I didn't blame them. How could I when I wanted to feel the same feelings, the same emotions that they were undulating? I could hear their whispered praises of each other, silent words to human ears, but clear to me. Painfully clear._

_It was as if I was right there with them._

"_You are so beautiful, Charlotte." Fingers moved over the taut nipple that he had manipulated until it was a small puckered pebble. He liked her responses to him. "Let me love you."_

"_Mmm," she sighed with a smile, arching her back as his fingers gently touched the fair skin before him. His hand softly clutched her light hair as he pulled her head to his mouth. He moaned at her taste, kissing her with a smile as her fingers fluttered up and down his back. Her head turned away from his mouth. "I love how you are, how you touch me. It feels so good, Peter."_

_He rewarded her comment with a laugh and moved to place kisses down her body, enjoying her little flirtatious giggles as they explored each other's bodies. _

_I felt it all._

_There was a sharp intake of breath from Charlotte and Jasper knew that Peter had entered her. He could feel the motions with each push, the gasps, the thrusts, the moans; it was torture. And as vampires, they would never have to stop. They could come and start again._

_Over and over and over, again._

_All day._

_It was an agony worse than any he had received from Maria. It was worse than ending a life to placate mine._

_The most appalling part was that __my__ body would react to their ministrations and there was no doubt they could feel my lust, too. Thankfully, they never verbally acknowledged it._

_I had to get away from them and their feelings._

_I had been glad to see the sun through the curtain as it was the obvious notification of dusk turning into twilight. I was less than thrilled to bear witness to the emotions carrying out from the back room. _

_With the sunlight touching the tips of the trees I arose from the couch and went into my room where their noises were most audible and started throwing what items I had into my bag. I walked to the door of the room and took one last look back, judging if this is the decision I wanted to make. I saw the bed un-slept in, and my eyes lingered to the only movement in the room. The hangers waving their goodbyes after I stripped my clothes off of them. I smiled, closing the bedroom door silently behind me and scribbled a note of thanks and praised their hospitality._

_And I walked out the door. _

_I would call them when I figured out where I was going. I knew they would be worried about me. _

The twang of the music poured out loudly and I realized I had ducked into the shadows during my memory, which had been) interrupted by another couple. This one was huddled close together under an umbrella. They ran within inches of me and turned into the rain, unaware how close to a predator they had come. I unconsciously took in their heat, their smell, with a deep intake of breath and instantly regretted it. It would take more control than could possibly be expected out of me. I took in another breath as they entered the diner, smelling the greasy food the humans consumed. Twelve humans and something else… Something oddly sweet and knew instantly what the smell was. I smelled one of my kind. I knew one was close and my senses caught that the scent was coming from within the diner. I felt instantly rigid. I had not anticipated that this could be another vampire's feeding ground. I quickly mused over whether or not I wanted the possible confrontation.

There would be witnesses, no doubt. But the humans would be easily submitted. I felt the venom pool in my mouth as my legs paced outside the diner. I didn't even recall walking across the street. I felt the growl in my throat as my fists clenched, fighting my fury. This changed everything! I knew that I might have to kill the vampire if it felt threatened by me. But I could try to calm it. Maybe it wouldn't come to that. Maybe I could manipulate it.

My mind warred with my body. My body was hungry, but my mind said to find another city.

I looked in through the windows, glossy with the rain, and tried to find the vampire who was sitting easily within the room of humans, just as I had planned to do… As if it knew my plan… As if it knew I was coming…

I shook my head, dismissing the absurdity of such a thought.

A decision had to be made.

* * *

A/N: So what should he do?

The next chapter is 5k+ words.. It's being beta'd.. Full of lemons.. rendering the above question :P null and void..

The next couple of chaps are being beta'd. So hopefully they will be out soon. Don't hold your breath. Fpr those who care, I won the centerpeice competition and Twilight Convention.. Had a blast and am now owner of an upclose pic of Daniel cudmore (felix) on my cell. Last week I got to meet Jackson again and the monkeys... and he was awesome to say the least.. He IS the only reason I am soooo team Jasper.. Although team Felix is pretty awesome too, I am thinking...


	15. Chapter 6: Alice

**A/N Finally! I know, right? This is the last Alice chapter as I feel I have kept them apart long enough. As ever, tell me what you think.. I know PrettyInBlack8 will cause she is awesome and good for my self esteem and reviews regularly. Puffy hearts pretty and ty!**

**Remember this is a historically based fan fiction and I am taking creative liberties as needed, to help it flow and give reference to the eras in which Alice lived on her own. I realize I am skipping forward and can slow burn the crap out of this fic, but I there could always be outtakes later… **

**This is mine. **

Alice's sat there with at the diner seeing clearly that she was to be meeting someone… soon. She smiled at the manager who was eyeing her cautiously. She was used to such looks and it didn't faze her anymore. She looked around her at the people sitting around in the booths, laughing and smiling. Most looked to be her age. Alice scoffed, knowing fully she was not insane. Yes, there was something seriously wrong with her. Yes, she hadn't aged at all since she left Mississippi. She didn't know why, though. Her eyes slowly changed from the blood red to a calming liquid gold and she had seen a few people with similar golden eyes so she was guessing she was mostly back to the normal she was before she was in the hospital. But those memories of why she was there and what she was like were fuzzy at best so she didn't think about such things.

Alice jabbed at the thick milkshake in front of her. She always bought food, though she never had a taste for it like normal people. It was yet another oddity she had surmised to her being different.

"Not hungry?" the shopkeeper said, busying himself with scrubbing a non existing spot. Alice just nodded and lifting her head slowly to take in his appearance. She shook off the visions she had on him. She didn't want to know anymore. She was concentrating on something else, someone else.

The one she was to be meeting tonight.

"I am waiting for someone," Alice said lightly. The man nodded his understanding before he shifted his gaze to the window where the evening sun was filtering through. Alice checked herself for any exposed skin, fiddling with her cardigan and sighed. She was there for a long wait. He wouldn't come till after the rain started to pour down and Alice hated waiting.

"Stay as long as you'd like." He said kindly as she gave a curt nod and smile in gratitude.

Someone put a nickel into the juke box and soon the diner resonated with the new Dinah Shore's song, Button and Bows. Alice didn't so much care for this song. It was overdone and too many singers wanted their go at it for their own gains. But it was on for the next few minutes and she didn't have the wherewithal to dismantle the jukebox front of so many patrons, especially now that one girl stood up and pulled at her companions arms to dance with her. He moaned his frustrations momentary but obliged her, lightly pulling her close and moving with the music.

The other girl sitting at the table watched the couples sway and narrowed her eyes on Alice. Alice sighed. She could see the woman moving toward her before the girl even arose.

Alice faced forward but it was in vain as the girl moved swiftly towards her.

"I like your shirt," the girl said, plopping herself onto the stool next to Alice. It should have come out sweetly but Alice heard the inflection in her voice showing her severe resentment and jealousy. The girl prided herself of being the envy of others. Alice had little tolerance for such people anymore.

But Alice turned to her saying, "Thank you," smarting back brightly.

The girl mimicked Alice's look, fearlessly. "Where did you get it?"

"I stole it." Alice said frowning. "Shh. Don't tell anyone."

The girl gasped cupping her hand to her mouth and narrowing her eyes on Alice. Her hair moved slightly with the shake of her head. _Gosh, this girl is dim_.

Alice could instantly see herself being questioned by an officer that was pointed out by the girl. She frowned, looking at her fully. She needed to get rid of this stupid girl.

"It's a joke." She said seriously.

The girl gave a disgusted face. It fit her personality so much better than the phony smiling one that she had on earlier.

"It wasn't funny."

"I thought it was." Alice smiled for a moment. "Did you still need something?"

"Your cardigan. I wanted to know where I could get one," the girl reminder her.

Alice thought this over.

She had only just met Suzanne when she was looking to refresh her wardrobe to the styles Pennsylvania had to offer. It was not much. Suzanne was a happy accident. She had met her when she was searching the vast array of patterns and trying to mix others styles with new fabric. It was a compulsion by now and Suzanne seemed to have the same interest. Suzanne was an apprentice to the seamstress and was soon to marry. But not if Alice had anything to do this it.

'_Alice sent me' so fawn over me_. She saw the girls' behavior clearly and her intentions. She knew this girl would take her mood and self entitlement out on Suzanne in turn making Suzanne a sycophant. Alice decided that it was impossible that she should subject Suzanne to such cruelty. So Alice gave the girl judging glance down her body, knowing she was going to come off snobbish, but this girl was no one to her. "No." She said simply and turned forward.

"That's awful rude!"

Alice raised and lowered her shoulders in a shrug but didn't make any further effort. This type of girl was not the kind she wanted to be associated by and she had been around long enough to know that the same kinds of people were everywhere. Some she liked, some were even a kind of friend, but mostly they all had a level of fear of her.

Alice remembered how in the past twenty years she watched everyone around her age, grow, fatten, and she was sure by now some have even died; yet she remained unchanging. She was an oddity.

_Alice spent as minimal amount of time in Missouri as possible. She learned the hard way that they had freaks of nature called tornados; one of which had forced her into a locked a cellar for hours with numerous crying, fearful people, and one was a little girl who watched Alice warily but smelled delicious, too delicious since Alice was very thirsty. But as Alice could see the child's future lay out before her, biting and sucking out her blood would be a bad thing, not to mention being locked up again. As if they could. She laughed at that thought. Alice didn't seem to worry about the storm, knowing it too would pass, yet it was not an experience that Alice wanted to repeat. _

_There were predicaments she didn't expect either, such as there were vast plains and farms with farm animals and pets. She learned that people 'noticed' these animals missing more easily and when they were killed more readily than those in the wild she was used to. _

_It didn't help that she could also see the tearful pleas of a redheaded by who cared for the dog Alice had grabbed in a moment of hunger. _

_The boy search endlessly for the dog_

_praying for its return_

_The guilt shackled her. Alice gently put the offending animal down carefully, but it piddled on Alice's new shoes before running away, anyway._

_She was not pleased and she was still thirsty._

_Alice ran to her small apartment, her shoes had long been ditched, and started packing up her alligator suitcases, cursing the whole time. She was done working at the local tavern where she had constantly glared at by the entire judgmental, homely women and groped by most of male patrons. She knew that she was a stranger, an enigma, but never had she been treated so harshly. Even the dreary women shunned her. She could see their mundane futures which consisted of procreation, hard, rough, endless work, and praying for rain. She walked the path of the Pony express for a few moments, before heading to the train station. _

_**Now the wind grew strong and hard and it worked at the rain crust in the corn fields. Little by little the sky was darkened by the mixing dust, and the wind felt over the earth, loosened the dust, and carried it away. The wind grew stronger. The rain crust broke and the dust lifted up out of the fields and drove gray plumes into the air like sluggish smoke. -John Steinbeck, **__**The Grapes of Wrath**_

_It was in the late 1920's that Alice moved from Missouri to Kansas just in time to hit the wraith which was the dust bowl. A large, rolling, blackened cloud sifted over many states, threatened their inhabitants existence. People fled their homes scared and starving but some stayed braving it by covering their faces with handkerchiefs and watching their crops dry up and erode in front of them, calling on their government to inquire what such a terrifying sight was. It consumed everything in its path filling the sky with crud. It was a time of acute despair. But to Alice it was tortuous to 'see' the bleak possible futures of these families. She couldn't take it. She didn't linger in Kansas, Alice boarded a train headed for Chicago after 'seeing' a glimpse of a future, much like she had in Biloxi, there. It would be a comfort to be able to get away from such famine. _

_Her hair was pinned under her new hat. It was a splurge and the desperate store owner was thankful for the business. Such things made Alice happy. Desperate people were always less wary of her and took her money greedily. Alice batted her golden eyes at the woman, buying all the purple colored fabrics the woman had and an ivory dress sprinkled with black polka dots. She stood regally in front of the mirror judging herself before turning and giving the seamstress an impromptu hug, the woman practically fainted at the contact. _

"_I will come back again, sweet May. I would love to see what other dresses you come up with," she flattered the woman with a smirk and wink. The blush and nod of the woman was answer enough to know that May had taken her hint. Alice knew that could do May's job more quickly and perfectly, but she needed a friend and May could use the money. Alice could see that it was the beginning of a new life for the girl in front of her. Alice smiled widely, ignoring the wary look on May's face. "Great!" With a swift turn she held her fabric up to her chest and walked onto the street._

_1930's Chicago bustled with people. Cars lined the sidewalks and the people seemed fashionable. It was a place that Alice could be happy, finally, settling into a small apartment on the corner of the street. She like such apartments being able to see in multiple directions and people watch would give her something to do during the long sunshine filled days, as well as up on the latest trends. But it was more than that too, it was like a challenge or game to her, to see the styles that the women had on and recreating them better for herself. Sometimes she would make multiples and give them away to random women who had less and would cherish it. That made her smile. But she knew that soon she would need a job._

_One night Alice had the fortunate misfortune of walking into a little Italian restaurant after she had overheard a woman named Matilda talking about dining in and the excitement of her encounters at the Harvard Inn. It was a rumored and suspected a speakeasy ripe with gangsters, bootleggers, and racketeers. Alice smirked at her, eyes blurring to see what Matilda was describing: tall buildings, barking dogs and seedy Italian restaurants… She could also see herself as welcomed addition to the restaurant staff. But Matilda was laughing her fake laugh and Alice's eyes readjusted to the present._

"_The Harvard Inn," Alice questioned in her high voice, choosing her words carefully, "What were you doing there?" _

_Matilda turned with judgment and took in Alice's appearance. Alice was obviously better dressed and more beautiful than Matilda and by her look, she knew it. Alice expected the rebuff, but she wouldn't allow it. _

"_It just surprises me, that's all," Alice smiled. "I hear rumors… are they true?" She pulled on the back short gloves and twisted and turned her hand looking at it, not making eye contact to stifle interest. _

_Alice could see the May nod before Matilda stammered her words to continue. _

"_I've been only once. I should hardly know." Now the braggart wanted to backtrack. _

"_Ah," Alice nodded. "You were so forthcoming before. I had thought you were conversant." Alice smirked at her. The red blush over Matilda's face darkened. "May, you make the loveliest clothes; I may have to buy one of each." _

_May positively beamed at her, well, for a moment. "You sure?" May asked, eyeing Matilda nervously. Alice wondered about the look, but she dismissed the thought quickly as visions of future interaction between May and Matilda flooded her mind. She could see a bit of fear in May's knowing eyes. Matilda's future was bleak and heartbreaking as she was currently an aspiring moll. _

"_Of course! You know I can afford such things, myself." Alice ignored the daggers thrown her way by Matilda. She had every intention to seek out the Harvard Inn and its inhabitants. _

_So, since she had seen herself in the building Alice knew she could get in easily, but not really seeing anything clearly after. That made her temporarily nervous as Alice really relied on her sight but Alice opened the door and stepped into a darkened lobby with lingering smells of garlic and rosemary. There was a hushed tone in the room, but she could listen to the words easily with her exemplary hearing. Quickly pranced around as if she belonged there quirking the wary interest of some very unsavory people, fearlessly, since she knew that she was different than most and she could probably harm them easier than they could her. _

"_I'm Alice," she had said to a heavy set man with her hand outstretched and smile of expectation on her face. Alice had seen pictures of him in the papers and she knew who he must be. But petite Alice was flanked by two protective men, wanting to defend their boss. Such a sight caused a guffaw from the infamous Al Capone. "And I need a job."_

The ruckus of plates dropping and the snickering that followed brought Alice back into the present. She had no idea how long she had sat there stationary line a statue. But with a quick glance around she notice no one seemed to paying her any mind.

The door opened allowing a thick rain smell into the diner. Alice turned to look and saw a man holding the door open and guiding the woman through the door. Alice turned forward. It wouldn't be long now, she could see that.


	16. Chapter 1: Jasper and Alice

**A short chapter which has been written and rewritten. Gah! Hence the wait. **

**Ima gonna dedicate this chap to ****PrettyInBlack8****, she gave me the best review ever! Thanks, babe. I flicked a tear and everything. **

**Thanks to all the new alerts and the new fav's. That is good karma right there and you earned it. XO**

I** have a bright and shiny new beta, Whitley Twilog. Let's take her for a spin in my randomness and see if she can hang. You can visit her blog at: www(dot)****twilog(dot)net**

**Let's play Alice Jasper ping pong... shall we?**

**Don't steal.**

Jasper

He couldn't take it anymore. The rain fell in a thick curtain obstructing his vision. He had counted the remaining people in the diner and knew one of the beings was a vampire. He could see that there was a female sitting at the counter alone. "I would bet she's it." He watched her as she sat there, motionless for several minutes as if she were a statue, dead to the world. He had seen the wary looks from the shopkeeper and knew this must be a young vampire who didn't know to not know it was supposed to act human.

Newborn.

He seethed at the thought at first. But then, this could work in his advantage. He could easily overcome the newborn as he had countless times.

But how could he if didn't know it was she that was the vampire? He could manipulate the atmosphere, take in the energy, and use it against her… He looked inside the diner seeing another being sitting off to the side in a booth. He seemed to be watching those within the diner. He fumbled with the coffee cup in front of him but it was not consumed.

Was it too hot? He looked at the beings dark eyes but couldn't make out any difference with the lighting, rain and windows.

Jasper didn't like the idea of attacking the wrong one. If he made a mistake he'd have to destroy so many lives. Their terror would be temporarily agonizing. Was he willing to feel that for another vampire? What if the vampire wasn't even a threat…?

Jasper took a step back, remembering he could hear the thumping of the human's heart beat. There were several, but he could separate and eliminate those who were clearly human. He concentrated on the male.

There was the delicate tinkling of the rain, the annoyance twang of the juke box, and then the obnoxious giggles, chuckles, and jeers from those inside. The faint heartbeats…

He went through each one, feeling their moods, hearing the blood filtering through their warm bodies in and out of their beating hearts.

Jasper grabbed the street lamp post and his fingers indented themselves in the metal. He held himself there, unwilling to move until the bloodlust had past.

He counted.

10

9

8 Juicy, sugary blood from their milkshakes. Greasy from their hamburgers and fries..

7

6 He took in a deep breath. Unnecessary, but he did.

5 He lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke, feeling the warmth inside his chest. Not like blood, but still warmth inside him.

4

3

Jasper concentrated on the heartbeats again, willing himself not to think about their rich scarlet blood.

2

1

With an exhale of smoke he looked at the one person without a discernable heartbeat.

The one body without one was sitting at the counter.

With a sneer, he glared at the vampire girl sitting alone.

Jasper had always held a soft spot for females whether they were vampires or humans. He'd even go out of his way to avoid feeding off them. Newborn vampires were always, always fearful of him because of his scars. He steered clear of them.

Maria's image pulsed into his mind. He had only really been with Maria. She'd destroy those who befriended him for sexual or amorous needs.

_But she didn't act like she was a newborn, sitting at the counter surrounded by humans…_

With a curse, Jasper's muscles pulled tightly underneath the leather he was wearing. He was starving and the thought of feeding had created a bloodlust he'd need to control.

He decided to formulate a plan of action, and if need be, an attack.

He took one last look at the vampire within the diner, ignoring the shape of her body and got to work.

Alice

Alice was getting irritable. After that girl had come up to her, she could see that her guest was pacing outside the door, stealing small looks in, and she could see his eyes landing on her many times. She didn't know what kind of guy he was, and if he didn't hurry up and get her out of there, she could see that she'd go out to him. Alice could see his decision to attack her. She didn't understand him. She didn't understand why she was meant to be in this very spot waiting for the one who wanted to cause her harm.

But she could see each move. Each plan formulated in front of her.

_If she chose to walk outside, he was going to grab her from behind, dragging her off and pulling her into the darkened alley. _

_She could see that if she'd stay put, he was going to try to lure her outside into a neutral setting where she would be disoriented and he'd have the upper hand._

_She could see him biting her neck and pulling the flesh off before she would see black._

"That is not going to happen!" Alice said out loud causing a hushing from the people around her who now stared at her cautiously.

She felt her hands recoiling inward and felt his eyes on her again.

He had heard her.

Alice started formulating her own plans, uncaring of those around her.

Jasper

"_That is not going to happen!" _

Jasper looked at the female. He had heard her clear as day and he watched her hands curl up into little balls of fury. It was cute.

He shook off that thought. His food was in that diner!

He couldn't and didn't care about the other vampire. He knew he had the skills and military training to dispose of any threat. He had ended countless newborn vampire lives… he could surely end hers, too.

He saw her turn toward him; fury laced with something else… lust? Surely, couldn't be love.

He pushed all of that aside as he watched her turn forward again and opened the door.

Alice

Alice heard the door open and could first smell the rain soaked leather. She knew it was him, but she didn't turn around. _He can come to me._ The juke box played a song in the background but she was relying on her sight to see the future. It was shifting wildly with each audible step closer. She had stopped breathing and was still. But she recalled smelling a similar scent twenty eight years ago, the night she left Biloxi. She didn't know what it was, but she recalled remembered feeling threatened.

"You're not eating these people. Don't even think about it." She said under her breath. She bet he could hear her, if he was anything like her.

But if he did, he didn't acknowledge the comment. Alice frowned as she swiveled forward in her chair, watching his next movements in her head.

The stool next to her pulled backward over the linoleum floor, yet Alice sat playing with the milkshake in front of her.

"Is this seat taken?" A southern voice drawled and it took every effort not to turn to him. He had a pull to him, she noticed and something else... She felt calm, where she usually felt chaotic, felt lust where she usually felt nothing.

_That's odd._

"Nope." She said, still looking forward. Alice felt his proximity, his pull. She felt his eyes on her and saw them in her mind. She could see his frustration warring with the amorous emotions the patrons were emitting.

"You new 'round here?"

"You sound like you are." She smirked as he frowned. She didn't answer his question and she started to feel the temper rolling off of him.

"I am not from 'round here, no."

"Best go on your way, then." She said, but her voice faltered into a question. The idea of him leaving did not sit well with her. She could feel a rush of emotions rolling off of him. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Frustration. Lust. Intrigue. She couldn't tell which of them the emotions were coming from, but she could see he had no intention to leave.

"No, I think I'll be stayin' for a while."

"Me too." Alice said simply.

"Is that so?"

Alice exhaled a long unnecessary breath. "Yes, that's so. Gah."

Jasper

Jasper watched the intriguing vampire sitting before him. He could tell that she was of their kind, not to mention she had the smell of a vampire and lacked the warm beating heart. He also didn't want to eat her. Well, in a predatory way, anyway.

"Kept me waiting long enough," she pouted. He was instantly in tune with the little dimples at the edge of her mouth that lowered.

He looked at her closely. She had yet to look at him, but he could see her pert nose and pretty upturned mouth. Her eyes were focused forward and her short black hair fell in soft curls around her face. It was not a current hairstyle, he noticed. She wore a simple sweater type shirt that hugged her soft breasts. The clothing would easily hide her sparkling skin easily, and with a scarf around her neck she looked amazingly sexy. He wanted to seek out the hidden lines of her neck and collarbone.

Licking his lips, he noticed she played with the melted milkshake, but he couldn't get a clear view of her skirt as she was sitting. However, she wore pumps that oddly resembled alligator skin and contrasted with her skin yet matched her shirt.

He felt the saliva pool in his mouth, before he recalled she had made a statement.

"My apologies, ma'am."

His lustful observations distracted him from his task at hand.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Sitting."

"Let me rephrase," He smirked, leaning gently on the bar, his entire body angled toward her, "What is a beautiful girl such as yourself you, sitting alone?"

She turned toward him now, judging him. He smelled so yummy, like tobacco and rain. "Obviously, I was waiting for you to decide to come in from the rain instead of lingering outside plotting my demise."

His eyes narrowed as he took in a harsh breath. She had to have a talent. They were rare, but he'd seen a few. He, of course was one of them.

"Now why would I wanna do that?" He chuckled, reigning in his nerves and calming the room.

She perked up an eyebrow and he instantly noticed her darkened eyes were actually a dark topaz color, not red or black.

He felt instantly on edge. Why did she have odd eyes?

**A/N: Did ya all notice my stolen Eclipse line, hmm? Whoever can gets five minutes with my Jasper. (Me, me! I noticed! ****) Next chapter is their date.. where do you think he'll take her?**


	17. Chapter 2: Jasper and Alice

**A/N: I hope you like..**

**SM owns, I borrow. Don't steal… be creative. **

**Beta'd by Whitley Twilog**

Alice's POV

"We should go on a date." He says in that southern drawl that makes my legs clench and my body shake. But I am sitting there, indifferent, watching the ideas trickling through his mind as he leans against the counter in the diner.

_His hand clutches my arm, dragging me out of the diner. Sharp teeth sinking into my flesh, ripping the flesh… Darkness._

_Bright colors, laughing as he tries to chase me. I dance, flittering away watching his lips line his frustration. Maybe I'll let him catch me… _

_I feel his body flush with mine. I feel his lips touch mine timidly, watching me carefully as he moves over me. I let him. I want him… _

Then a vivid vision takes over

_The diner quiets, the mood shifting lethally. The shopkeeper is watching me, lust in his eyes. I am beautiful to him. Jasper can feel his attentions. A vicious warning glare goes unnoticed and Jasper recoils back before bounding toward him. Screaming! People running... the sweet smell of blood. I lick my lips.._

"No Jasper." I breathe out, I know he can hear me but his eyes are on the shopkeeper. I carefully touch his hand that is laying over the counter, and Jasper recoils away, his eyes temporarily distracted and now on me. I give him a smile.

Instantly, the man in the back booth is eyeing me with an odd smile and a bit of fear. I've seen his kind before. I am something to be had, make him feel masculine. I give him a slight glare and I see Jaspers body twist and his head again turns toward the man.

Jasper wants to kill, starting with the man on in that last booth and then onto the other patrons. I feel his bloodlust but I can see him bite him and watch me as the man screams. Jasper is sucking his blood. His eyes redden and there is temporary excitement but then despair.

"That's not gonna happen," I whisper giving him my sing song voice. I know he can hear me, and Jasper turns to me with a dark lethal glare. Maybe it has worked for him before, but his intentions are too clear for me and I won't back down.

"Glare all you want. I can see your desires clearly, and _that-"_ I gesture over to the back man in the booth "is not going to happen." I give him my best smirk, daring him.

I see him turn one sharp glare at the man in the booth and ignore the dominance Jasper is trying to portray. I've known him all but five minutes and he's already laying claim to me? It's actually quite humorous, if at all unwarranted.

I give a relaxing breath out, and Jasper mimics it, but I can feel that he is somewhat calmer. We've been sitting here as the rain comes down and I've managed to ignore or divert every different scheme he's tried to try to eat the patrons. As they trickle out the door, I feel his anxiety again. He know's his food supply is leaving. I needed to continue to distract him.

"What was I saying?"

"I was asking you for a date and you have ignored my every inquiry."

"Ah, yes. Just as I have ignored your every intention to get me to leave with you. You're a conniving one, Jasper Hale." I am sure my charm is not lost on him once I see a mouth full of teeth and his wicked smirk. I am sure he notice my eyes watching the curl with advent interest.

The visions flutter through my mind quickly. He seems to be searching the diner, the street, for places that he could overcome me, needing to take me, overpower me. He's considering following me home and just I smile, even though I can see that he won't hurt me, but that idea is not yet set in his future and until it is, I am staying put.

"I am just asking for a date. I am harmless, really."

I felt the energy he had emitted. It was strongly sexual and as my breath hitched my legs seemed to clench. I know he had to have noticed.

"I am not much for dating, Jasper." I placed my head on my hand as my other hand plays with the straw and the goo in the glass, it has since melted and smells sickly sweet, but I am trying and failing to be indifferent. I have always been able to play it off, but Jasper can feel it.

"Is that so?" His voice ooze's lust and I feel a trickle of it caressing me, but that must be his charm. I bet he is used to getting his way with such persuasions. He must be able to expel the feelings without truly feeling them.

I was not to be had.

I expel a breath of real disinterest and feel the frustration in him mount instantly. I like pushing him. Reject the emotions he's pushing on me, yet they only seem to amplify.

"Yes. I have yet to _want_ to have a date."

I see his smirk curl the side of his face. It is seriously devilish and I can't help but to moisten my lips. His eyes dart to my mouth and his smirk deepens. I can see him grabbing my face, pulling me to him as his tongue tastes where my tongue just touched my lip.

I couldn't help the gasp escaping me. I must have looked shocked because he looked positively sinful.

"I think I can change your mind, Alice."

"I highly doubt it, daddy-o."

"Why not? Don't you like me?" His body curls around mine, just inches away. I can feel the tension rolling off of him just as I am aware of the responsiveness his body promises. I am a challenge to him. He likes a challenge, I can see that about him, and as he shifts on his stool and his visions change from violence to lust and I am struggling to see all the pictures in my head while staying alert with him so close.

I can see my eventual departure with him

_Being pinned against the wall as he grabs the back of my head and pulls my mouth to him. I swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth._ _Gasps of air swirl in the air darkness as the rain falls over us with the brisk breeze biting at our skin. But the cold doesn't affect us; it only amplifies the lust as he grabs my leg and wraps it around him. I feel him. _

"I don't date." I say briskly, my head shakes off the scene in my head. I feel odd sitting there in front of the others with thoughts like his. I've seen such thoughts and plans before yet never were they so explicit, so personal… so wanted.

"You said that, darlin'."

"Well, I don't do the things you're thinking of doing to me, either." I watched his eyes carefully dance over my face and over my breasts. There was a hardness that fell for an instance and I wondered what could be going on in that head of his and why he would have to put up such a barrier. "I never have 'dated' and I never will 'date', so you can just stop." Best to end his train of thoughts now…

I could tell he wanted to say something but I couldn't allow it. He was charming and charismatic and if I didn't change the topic from the lust he felt, I was fearful he would break all my defenses and I would be lost.

"I am starving." He said.

_Jasper was sitting at the counter and in the next instance he was lunging over the floor. His arms were wrapped over the torso of the man in the back booth. His teeth were sinking into the man's neck and with wild black eyes he watched me as he did it. He sucked the life out of the man while he watched my reaction! I could see the pain rippling over his face as I could feel the mood in the diner change instantly. They people were stunned at first then started screaming as Jasper went after the next person, a girl. He snapped her neck and was jumping to his next victim._

My visions were getting clearer. I needed to get him out of there.

"Well," I composed myself. I clutched his arm and watched as he looked away from the man and toward me. I realized then I could be the perfect distraction. I could feel a change in the atmosphere instantly as could see his fingers twitch to touch me... "Then I guess it would be a good idea if we found you something more… suitable to eat."

I felt his confusion instantly and tightened my grip on his arm. I leaned in, whispering, "I know you're hungry, Jasper. But you can't attack these people. That man, you want to bite, he takes care of his elderly mother. He is all she has and this is his only way to get away, if only for an hour. He is just lonely."

I knew Jasper could relate to that man. The more he could see himself in the people the less he was likely to eat them.

Jasper watched the man in the back booth. His face fell with understanding and remorse.

"Come with me." I jumped off the stool and pulled out my purse. I left a decent tip to pay for my time at the counter and pulled Jasper out of the diner with me.

It was still raining and the visions of him overpowering me were still fresh in my mind, so I started running after the diner door shut, seeing that Jasper would follow me. I needed to get him far away from the diner. I need to feed him so he could think more rationally.

I knew where I wanted to take him. I had hunted the woods before and was able to take down several deer. The warmth of their blood was soothing yet not easy to swallow down.

"Where are we going?" Jasper asked bounding over a boulder as we started to see the trees to thicken into the forest.

"Hunting", I jumped and twirled mid air loving the feeling of my skirt spinning around me. It mushroomed as my foot hit the forest floor and I could sense their smell instantly.

I moved away from him, feeling his presence as I hunted the herbivores. I could tell there were at least three.

I jumped right before I saw Jaspers hand try to grab me back.

"Hunting what?" He bound in front of me but I sideswiped him easily, curling around a nearby tree and landing behind him. He must not have liked that cause we he turned his eyes were black, his brows pinned together and his lips were a hard line. He went to swipe at me and I cart-wheeled away with a few skips and blew him a kiss.

"I am not so easy to catch." I gave him a wicked smile and winked. His lip curled and I felt something I had yet to feel.

Something completely unnatural… something foreign.

*ASPTF*

Jasper's POV

"You're a vampire, Alice. Not a girl who woke up one day and decided that she had an appetite for blood."

"That's insane!"

"What is insane is your stubbornness to grasp the truth." I could literally pull my hair out.

I had taken in the animal blood as she had asked me to do even though I felt my body wretch from it, instantly. But I kept it down. She would have some sob story to gain my sympathy toward any human she could "see" my want to attack. I had hoped that I could get used to the animal blood but after three deer and a mountain lion I felt full, yet deprived. But I had also not felt the feelings of those whose life I was stealing.

I missed the war filled plains of the south. Those people were so easy to take, they wished for death and I could feel their peace of being able to leave their pain. Only then were our kind true angels of death.

But that was a long time ago. Now I was a murderer who preyed on those I could easily consume, who had life lines and future children and spouses that will miss them. I disagree. They couldn't miss something they didn't know they were to have. It had been the prevailing argument all morning. But now my comment about her being a vampire had now taken precedence.

The girl liked to argue.

Based on my body had reactions to this girl, I was a gluten for punishment.

I never felt such blatant emotions before. Her emotions were so fleeting; sometimes there was lust, anger, humor, sadness, happiness, and the like. I felt overwhelmed having been deprived for so long.

So, I would refrain from the humans if it gave me a chance to be with her; to feel her emotions and her untouched body.

I wanted to touch her, taste her, and feel her body bouncing on top of mine. I imagined the woman undressing herself just for me, knowing that she had never undressed for anyone else. I longed to feel her breath tickling over my skin.

"That- is very distracting."

I gave her a coy smile. "What is darlin'?"

I watched her face pinch together as her fingers touched the temples of her head. I let the sexual feeling amplify as she dropped the deer her luscious mouth just sucked dry. I wondered what else her mouth would be good at sucking.

"That!" She rolled her eyes and huffed, her petite finger pointing over my body and making circles over my face.

"What did you see?" I smirked.

She licked her lips and her eyes drifted down to my crotch. I felt the gesture instantly, I felt the tension and sexual feelings amplify.

"I didn't mean to offend,"

"Your whole 'you' is distracting... I mean offending!"

I moved closer to her. "What can I do to make it better?"

"You can stop hitting on me, Jasper. You could stop thinking about me that way." Her golden eyes watched me warily and yet still softened was she looked me over. I knew she wanted me, too. She just needed convincing.

"Which way is that?"

"With lust."

I laughed deeply. I had never known such a being. I was used to Maria using her lust to 'convince' her lovers to submit to her. I was not immune. I had believed her words, yet that was all they were and I was trying to seduce Alice the same way.

"I only want love."

My laughing stopped. My face hardened and I know she must have seen it, too.

"I am incapable of love." I was serious.

"Well. I can see that is not true, but I am incapable of lust without it and so we are at an impasse."

I couldn't help the growl that escaped my chest. I had not had anyone since Maria and my body was demanding the release only Alice's body could give me. I needed a diversion. I sat down on the forest floor. The silence was deafening.

"So tell me, again Alice, why you do not think you're a vampire."

"Why would you think I am? I don't suck the blood of people, I never have, I never will."

"Obviously, not all vampires suck human blood. I have now seen that with my own eyes, darlin'. It does not excuse your existence or our kind."

"You may think you're a vampire, Jasper, all you want! I am not a vampire!"

Her hands were twisting with each of her words.

"Do you sleep?"

I heard her gasp. She played with the hem of her sweater that had a string starting to unravel. Such presence seemed to really aggravate her and she lifted the string to her teeth and quickly bit it off. "I don't see how that matters. Lots of people suffer with insomnia. I've done the research, Jasper. It is quite common."

I smirked. She was such a firecracker. "Have you aged?"

"I take excellent care of myself."

I let my hand run over my face. "How long have you been this way?"

"What do you mean?"

Stubborn. Unyielding. Infuriating. "When you woke up and noticed that you were different."

Alice's face twisted as her eyes glazed over. She was possibly remembering the moment.

"Tell me about it, Alice."

"Not much to tell. It was in the 1920's and I woke up in total darkness. I don't remember anything before. I was in a hospital of sorts." She watched me warily again. Obviously she was trying buffer her words. I doubted that what she was telling me had ever before escaped her lips. I waited patiently, willing her to continue.

She fidgeted. It was odd as I had never seen a vampire with such human tendencies. "There was a man. He was asked to help me… he gave me clothes. He helped me escape. One woman called me demon. I had your red eyes." She swallowed hard. I could feel her distress.

"That is normal for our kind." I breathed and sent reassurance. She looked up at me so innocently, yet so confused. "Please, go on." I nodded and smiled.

"Um... I hunted alligators, because I couldn't attack the orderly. He had a family!" I nodded. So that was how she found an alternative. She could see herself ending those futures. I could imagine those feelings she must have felt. I've had felt such feelings. We were such similar beings.

"That's understandable, darlin'. So you've been like this since 1920." I watched her pop up her shoulders and hunched down, which was a basic nonchalant agreement.

"So you've stayed the same, yet have watched everyone around you age."

"I haven't really stayed around long enough to watch anyone age."

"But you haven't aged. That is because our kind is immortal. We will forever stay this age, this way." I looked over the trees in the distance; the morning sun was burning the tips of the trees and sending long rays of light over the forest floor. It felt so peaceful. I looked over to Alice, seeing the light touch her skin. She had her hand lifted into the sunlight, smiling at the beautiful glow her luminous skin emitted.

I grabbed her hand gently, kissing it. "Yet another characteristic of our kind." I kept her hand in mine, feeling the odd reactions that bounced between us.

I didn't know if I liked it. It was uncomfortable, yet comforting.

I gave her a small pat, removing my hand. "We best get inside or we'll be stuck out here until dusk. You have a home?" I looked at her, her head was down.

She must have been looking at our hands, her eyes glazed before they focused up onto my face. "Yes. Don't you?"

I gave her a sly smile. "I was just passing through."

"Then I guess you can come to my place." Her eyes seemed to glaze over again. "You better behave, though, I can see your intentions, you know."

Alice didn't wait for my response; she bounded up onto her feet and ran. I smiled, following easily behind her.

ASPTF

Alice twisted inside her house with ease. I tried to take in the room. It was filled with lush, dark furniture that seemed to barely be out of the store. There was colorful art lining the pale green walls. It was not the earthy tones I had been used to seeing- the oranges and olive greens. She had her own style that was apparent.

"You like art." I said my eyes easily moving through the room. Three doors, all shut, four windows, three showing the back door one showing the front; all the curtained with thin lace to shield the inhabitants from the outside world.

"I do. I like beautiful things." I turned to see her watching me. I gave her a reassuring smile, suddenly realizing that we would be spending the entire day inside, together.

"Well, you done well for yourself."

"Thanks. I am only human... and there are only so many hours in the day."

I turned to her, narrowing my eyes. I knew what she was getting at, again. "Human." I smiled smugly watching her mouth twitch. She seemed to enjoy riling me.

"That's right."

I took a few steps toward her, "And if I say I am a vampire?"

"Then you say you're a vampire." She smirked, her eyes dancing as I continued forward. I wanted to see what graces she'd give me. Would she allow me to kiss her? Would she let me touch her? Would she trust me? Could I trust her? I ignored her sharp intake of breath, obviously she saw my intentions.

"I am a vampire." Gave her a wide, wicked smile.

"And how did you become a vampire?"

I knew what she was doing. She was distracting my advances as well as taking me down a road I wasn't sure I was willing, or even ready to go down.

I kept my eyes on her; no doubt she'd notice I never looked completely away from her.

I took my finger and pulled back my collar. I felt her cool breath on my skin causing me to recoil away from her. I heard her gasp and apologize. I took in a calming breath and I moved the collar over. I watched as she moved closer, but slowly.

"You are afraid of me." She giggled.

"No. I don't trust you."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust anyone."

"That's just silly."

I let out an exasperated breath. Breathing was unnecessary, yet since I had been around Alice, I noticed she breathed all the time, as if she really was human. I needed to get her entire history in order to understand her.

"Is that a bite?" I felt her finger trace my skin and I instinctively moved away from her. I could tell she was only curious and meant no harm, but it didn't matter.

"Yes, darlin'. It was how I was changed. Somewhere, on you," I let her see my eyes travel over her body, "you will have a similar scar where you were bitten and the venom changed you."

"Huh." Her eyes became vacant for a moment. "I never noticed, but then again, I have some faint scars from... well, I don't know…"

"I could help you look?" My charm didn't escape her notice as I got a wicked glare with her grin.

"Okay… then maybe you might know what could have happened to me?"

"Perhaps. If the bite were from someone intimate with you, it could be on your neck..." I gently raised my fingers barely touching her skin over her neck. She was very still, probably seeing my intentions fully and gauging them to be safe. I cleared my mind to concentrate on what I was thinking. I didn't want to push her or to stop my ministrations. My finger slowly moved down and over her collarbone, "it could be here," and my fingers traced down her chest as her topaz eyes watched me warily. I heard her swallow, felt the tension and lust in the air as my fingers touched the softness of her right breast, "Or here." In an instance she had twisted away from me and I saw her across the room. She was quick, but I sensed her to be harmless.

"I guess we could look later, darlin'," I smirked and slowly raised my eyes to hers. I motioned for her to come back to me, my arm held out until she complied and once she did, I moved her onto the couch. She sat rigidly, frozen as her eyes danced over me, searching the future for a moment before she smirked.

"Go ahead and ask your questions." She said, sitting back into the couch. I could see her eyes mover to the window across the room.

"What was your last memory of being a human?"

She let out a heavy, frustrated sigh and I knew she was going to combat the 'human' aspect. I held out my hand to stop her rant.

"You don't eat their food, you feed on blood. You may act like a human but you know you're different; stronger, faster, smarter. Not to mention, you haven't aged at all since you woke and you said once you had the red eyes."

Alice's eyes glared. "I did say that." Alice mumbled, hearing the rant clearly as she admonished the word _demon_. Her voice was shaking. I moved slowly wrapping my arms around her. It was a grand gesture for me, but I could feel her pain and she needed comforting.

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me. Their date is the next chapter. Sorry I had to stop this here. I am sorry for the delay and am thankful for you sticking with me and this story... Alice/ Jazz won't be as choppy as the chapters before... I considered those more one shots or blips in their history. I had it looked at and they said I should see about adding to it, and having it thoroughly edited, and then repost it. I may take the advice.**

**Thanks for your reviews, and your happiness that Maria is gone. I liked Maria. She was fun to write. I would have given you a lil' extra but I had nothin' to give as I am working up to their first time... Maybe an outtake of Maria? Hahahah! I am an evil bitch. **

**Where do you think Alice's scar will be found? **

**Please read Guardian Angel and let me know how you like it... I am on twitter: hismysticmuse and FB: Hismystic Muse**


	18. Chapter 3: Jasper and Alice

A Soft Place to Fall

**A/N: Although this story is based on what could have happened before and after Jasper and Alice meet, it was never my intention to make it cannon. ;} Thank you for waiting for the update.. I could give you lots of reasons for the wait, but does it matter? Just know I am sorry. **

**Not beta'd so forgive the mistakes..**

**I hope you like this and please don't steal. **

Alice and Jasper 4

"_I guess we could look later, darlin'," I smirked and slowly raised my eyes to hers. I motioned for her to come back to me, my arm held out until she complied and once she did I moved her onto the couch. She sat there rigidly as her eyes danced over me, searching the next moments of the future for a before she smirked._

"_Go ahead and ask your questions." She said, sitting back into the couch. I could see her eyes mover to the window across the room. _

"_What was your last memory of being a human?"_

_She let out a heavy, frustrated sigh and I knew she was going to combat the 'human' aspect. I held out my hand to stop her rant._

"_You don't eat their food, you feed on blood. You may act like a human but you know you're different; stronger, faster, smarter. Not to mention, you haven't aged at all since you woke and you said once you had the red eyes."_

_Alice's eyes glared. "I did say that." Alice mumbled, hearing the rant clearly as she admonished the word demon. Her voice was shaking. I moved slowly wrapping my arms around her. It was a grand gesture for me, but I could feel her pain and she needed comforting._

ASPTF

It was easy to see that Jasper had a certain way about him and Alice was having trouble refuting the endless advances that Jasper was giving. There was a smirk here and a caress there, an intake of breath when she was near him and then there were the feelings each of them were emitting. It was a smorgasbord of feelings: tension, lust, fear, carefulness, sensitivity, want… excitement.

Alice noticed that Jasper seemed to amplify or dissipate whatever she was feeling, at his will. It was erotic and infuriating at the same time as it was easy. But she didn't like to be messed with and at this point he was close to abusing his talents with her.

"That's an amazing talent. Yet, if I feel everything you are giving me- it is still nothing. All you are teaching me is that you're a master manipulator."

Jasper frowned at her words. He never thought of himself as a manipulator. He always saw others in that light, though.

Alice seemed so much more different, more difficult that Maria. Maria was keen on the feelings he emitted. His feeling of love brought on her lust, yet his feelings of loath brought on the same reactions.

"That- eck! That just leaves a sour taste in my mouth." Alice's face was as sour as her voice. Jasper looked at her curiously. Could she actually feel the disdain he felt for Maria?

Alice lifted her hands to her hips in a sightless motion. "Who was she?"

Jasper didn't really want to be having this conversation, but it seemed inevitable. "Who is who?"

"The one that makes your lip snarl and your body recoil is who."

Jasper was unaware of his reactions, but not surprised. He sat down on her couch, since they were trapped there for the day and she was, most likely, going to be unrelenting in her questioning. Not to mention, if he was going to be there with her long enough to fulfill his promises to seek out how she was changed and what had happened to her, then they were going to have to open up to each other's past.

"Maria is the vampire who changed me."

Alice bounded for the couch and folded her legs into her chest, her eyes bright and childlike as if she wanted a story. She waited for him to speak, knowing that the longer she did the more likely he was to talk.

"I was Major Jasper Whitlock of the Confederate Army." Jasper stated proudly, "I had come across Maria and her sisters during my rounds and sought them out to see if they were in distress or in need of an escort. Back then, during the Civil War, it was unusual to see women unaccompanied by a male armed escort. The sight was distressin' to a man with my sensibilities and my intent was to offer my services as their escort.

"I remember that the three of them were beautiful, ethereal women and I was easily entranced." Jasper ran his hands through his hair, a human gesture, but his proud face turned severe as his mind recalled the memories. "I remember Maria invitin' me to dismount my horse and ever accommodatin', I obliged. I can still remember the wicked smiles that graced their faces and it wasn't until we were face to face I noticed the red and burgundy of their eyes.

"They seemed to like the way I looked... and discussed my usefulness-" Jasper's eyes narrowed as a slight growl escaped his lip, and Alice felt his tensions with indifference, willing him to go on. "…to their cause. They were lookin' for soldiers to man their Army. I found that out later.

"Maria was a succubus and I was naïve. I was lonely, deprived of affections, so I fell easily into their trap as any gentleman soldier would, I escorted the women back to their camp where I was brought into a house by Maria, fed and later seduced. She kissed me here," Jasper pointed to his cheek, "but then bit me here." He grazed his finger down his neck until it landed onto an iridescent crescent of teeth.

"Can I see? Come closer?" Alice blinked with a slight smile. After a moment Jasper hooked his finger in his collar and pulled it back farther, giving her access to him. She could feel that he trusted her somewhat but was cautious. He was steeled, willing, and able to defend himself against the other vampire if needed.

Alice moved carefully, feeling his tension, and held her breath as she looked at the mark. It was then noticed she noticed there were more. Many more.

"Jasper! There is more than just one bite!" Alice ripped his shirt easily, his buttons fell to the floor and Jasper was instantly thrown off kilter, trying to get away from her. She didn't seem to have the fear that a normal vampire would possess with such a sight. But Alice paid him no mind; not to his movements or the scars. She was agitated yet intrigued. "There are lots of those bites! How did you get bit so many times?"

Jasper sneered at her, gave her a hiss, but Alice was waving her fingers at him in an outrage. "Tell me Jasper Whitlock! How?"

He watched her warily, smiling slight at her abhorrence of his bites and knowing now it was in his defense. It seemed odd that the female would already be and so easily be enraged with the marks. Each one of the marks had been a violation on his being, but none more than the one from Maria.

He didn't need to tell Alice how Maria seduced him. How he felt euphoric entering her, but quickly mortified feeling the coldness of her sex. It wasn't just the cool night air as she said it was. It was then he knew something was fatefully wrong. It was then he pulled away from her in fear and disgust. It was then she had bounded for him, hunted him and then bit him. He recoiled remembering the how he felt the writhing pain of her anger and her venom.

The pain was excruciating and endless. The pain in his heart was worse.

However, now as Alice stood defiant and angry, Jasper smiled. Never since Peter was someone so abhorred to the way Maria had been with him, even if he didn't deserve it. But he could appreciate the gesture just as he was sure Alice could appreciate the hate towards the male that ended her life.

But Maria, Maria would have hated Alice. She would have been insanely jealous and demanding her to be destroyed, no matter if she had the gift of foresight. It would have been out of jealousy and insecurity.

Jasper wondered curiously how Maria would fare against Alice. He could see Alice dancing and giggling happily around each of Maria's advances. He could see Maria's fury and her demands that he destroy Alice for her. But could he? Most likely not. He imagined that Alice would be a wicked one to try to defeat.

"I was commander of her army." He said simply. "It was my job to train her recruits and eventually destroy them. Maria usually kept the soldiers for a year as that is when they are the most strength." Jaspers lip curled wickedly, "they usually didn't enjoy the gesture."

ASPTF

Alice and Jasper sat talking. There was no reason to be excused as neither was concerned with any human bodily issues. This was yet another point that Jasper felt the need to articulate and the more proof he gave of her vampire self, the more Alice would pout and snicker. She held true to her thoughts though, ever stubborn.

Mostly, she liked his reactions to her as he seemed to like her defiance to submit. She was sure he was accustomed to others yielding to him easily but as he was not her commander his words, feelings, and actions fell impotent.

Alice and Jasper spent the day talking. Well, Jasper did the majority of the speaking, detailing the stories from a time long ago. His most prideful being the time he was a Major in the Civil War, then onto the madness that was the vampire wars of the south. Some stories he told with apt attention and excitement, like how his dear friends Peter and Charlotte met but some stories were upsetting like Mary and Randall's story. Alice had been pleased to learn that Jasper could be capable of compassion and strength even in the most dire of moments.

But as the sun fell behind the trees showing the end of another day Alice excused herself to the bathroom to shower. She had tentatively agreed to go to see a movie with Jasper, one that he had preciously wanted to see, yet never had.

Alice seemed wary of the truth of his statement, but agreed. She also felt there was an alternative notion to this movie, but it was exciting to actually go out and be seemingly normal. She had never been on a date. She had heard about them, yes, but never gave into the idea there would be someone she would want to accompany on one.

Jasper could hear the sound of the shower fall silent and looks up. He could hear her toweling off the remaining water drops off her body before she moves swiftly to dress herself. He can hear her soft breath as she moves into her bedroom. Jasper can hardly wait to shower after her. Just being in the room that as she was… nude.

But he must not think like that. He must not entertain such thoughts.

Alice opened the door, gave him a shy smile, and said, "It's all yours" before leaving the room.

Jasper moved forward warily, taking in her room. He noticed that she had decorated it with the usual human items, such as a bed and a chest of drawers, yet hers seemed completely her own design. He could see her spending hours cooped up in her home creating and designing it.

He could imagine the loneliness she must have felt.

ASPtF

Jasper washed the grime off of himself, gently touching himself where he was most sensitive. He could see Alice's face as he did. Maybe she would smile, maybe she would moan as he pinched at her nipples. He could feel his tensions mounting, but he would not defile her hospitality. He erased his thoughts quickly, choosing to think about their date and how much he was going to enjoy seeing her reactions to the movie.

Jasper stepped out of the bathtub. His hearing acutely picked up the gentle pants of Alice on the other side of the door. It was as if she already knew his intentions. Opening the door, he could see her pretty angular face, the small pout of her lips, and her eyes fluttering over his bare body.

He stood there, allowing her to see him for a moment. His body seemed to tense when her eyes fell over his dick. Her eyes were wild and dark for a moment before the tension and lust diffused. He needed it defused it or he was going to take her roughly.

He couldn't- wouldn't, do that to her.

She was not ready.

He was not ready.

"Evening, Ma'am." He greeted coyly. Alice's eyes widened when they lifted back up to his face. He could feel her embarrassment, her lust. It did amazingly awful things to him. "Ready for our date?"

Alice nodded before she motioned to his clothes and left the room in silence.

That silence was very curious to him.

ASPTF

The Philadelphia wind curled down the street in front of them, lifting the slumbering leaves into a frenzied dance underneath the night sky. Jasper wrapped his arm around Alice's torso, palming her ribs and leading her quickly down the street, interrupting the winds dance unknowingly.

"I can see that you're taking me to a movie." Alice said. She wasn't sure about how she felt with his arm around her, especially after she had seen him indisposed earlier. The sight still seemed to tease her mind, play with her imagination as well as her heart. He was no doubt feeling and possibly enjoying the emotions bouncing off of her, but he remained quiet in his musings.

"I can see it has Bella Lugosi."

But Jasper remained silent.

Alice gasped, stopping. "Dracula? You're taking me to see Dracula?"

Jasper smiled widely turning to her. He felt her gasp and saw her eyes haze for mere seconds before they concentrated on his mouth. He took that as his permission before he slowly, gently, cupped her face in-between his hands and placed his lips on hers.

Their first kiss.

**A/N: I am going to end it here... Things are going to start picking up between them from here but it may be hot and heavy or slow burn.. I haven't decided.. I guess that will depend on you. **

**Also, I have been told that I should consider pulling the story, adding to it, editing it more thoroughly and resubmitting it. It is a grand undertaking and I will be doing so one chapter at a time. I will tell you if there are any changes, first. Also, I wrote a one shot and contributed to a collaboration story. Make sure you watch the story so you get them all... Here's the link just remove the spaces: ****http: /www . fanfiction**** . net/s/6618121/1/ **


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